PUTRAJAYA, April 9 — About 86.3 per cent, or 1,126 cases, of the total 1,304 deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic recorded until last Wednesday were those with a history of comorbid diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes or the elderly, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said these non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are related to food, diet and nutrition.

The risk of comorbid death is high when infected with Covid-19, he said when launching the state-level Malaysia Nutrition Month and the MyChoice Initiative today.

In conjunction with the event, he said the ministry had come up with a new Malaysian Food Pyramid and Malaysian Diet Guide which contained significant changes in the food group which food groups for vegetables and fruits were placed at the base of the pyramid.

Prior to this, he said, the food group at the base of the pyramid was carbohydrate, comprising rice, noodle, bread, cereals and potato.

"This shows the importance of consuming vegetables and fruits in greater amounts than other food groups, if possible, at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits every day, he added.

On the MyChoice, he said, it was an initiative to encourage the food service industry to prepare meals based on healthy nutrient criteria. — Bernama