SHAH ALAM, Oct 10 — The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its Family Health Development Division’s Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Sector, has initiated strategic discussions on the development of the MOH PWD Strategic Plan.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry was also drafting a proposal for a national-level PWD Registry (OKU Registry), which would incorporate data and needs profiles of the cerebral palsy (CP) community.

“This step shows that your voices are being heard and translated into structured action at the ministry level to plan a service delivery system driven by actual data.

“Approaches such as the CP Living Library featured in this symposium are highly significant. Clinical knowledge provides medical and scientific evidence, while your lived experiences offer a human and empathetic perspective,” he said.

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cerebral Palsy Symposium, organised by Gabungan Anak-Anak Palsi Serebrum (GAPS) at the Shah Alam Convention Centre here today.

MOH records showed that 1,076 children with CP had been registered and received early intervention services at health clinics nationwide from 2016 to 2025.

Speaking to reporters, Dzulkefly said the strategic plan was still at an early stage, but it was important to ensure that the needs of individuals with CP continued to receive attention throughout their lives.

He said CP required not only care during childhood but also continuous support as individuals transitioned into adolescence and adulthood.

“This is a lifelong need. We want to ensure this group has the opportunity to lead lives like everyone else, including in terms of careers, social relationships and starting a family.

“Our challenge is to ensure they are not excluded from the support system after leaving school. They need more than empathy and sympathy; they need an ecosystem that enables them to live a normal, dignified and inclusive life throughout their lives,” he said.

On the expected timeline for developing the PWD Registry, Dzulkefly said the initiative would be implemented continuously through an approach of ongoing improvement.

He said data collection had to begin in an organised and structured manner to ensure the registry contained high-quality data that could support more effective service planning. — Bernama