We’ve experienced 18 months of living through an infectious disease pandemic, but we’ve been living with the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases for far longer. Yet, we’ve struggled to effectively address NCDs over the decades, particularly at the policy, strategic and financing levels. Do we want to exit the COVID-19 pandemic, only to walk right back into a worse NCD epidemic? We ask Prof Dr Nur Aishah Taib, Consultant Breast Surgeon, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre; and Prof Dr Teo Soo Hwang, Chief Scientific Officer, Cancer Research Malaysia, what our national planning and budgeting should focus on when it comes to NCDs, through the lens of cancer prevention and care.

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