Rheumatology in Malaysia

Malaysia is a developing country in the South-East Asian region with a significant burden of disability from musculoskeletal disease. Rheumatology in Malaysia is a relatively young speciality. Currently, there is approximately 1 rheumatologist per 390,000 population, mostly concentrated in the urban areas. This article aims to give a brief overview of the research in rheumatology, the healthcare system, and rheumatology training and education in Malaysia. From 1950 until mid-2019, there were 547 publications about rheumatological conditions from Malaysia, with a 27-fold increase in the numbers from the period before 1980 compared to 2010-2019. Although there is universal access to healthcare through the public (government funded) hospitals and clinics, as well as a system of private healthcare, funding for expensive biological therapies remain patchy and scarce, leading to significant under-utilization of such treatments in rheumatology patients. Training in rheumatology in Malaysia is well established with a formalised training curriculum introduced in 2004, followed by the introduction of training in musculoskeletal ultrasound in 2006. To improve care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions, there has been regular continuing educational meetings and courses, not just for rheumatologists, but also for other medical professionals, as not all areas in Malaysia have easy access to rheumatology services. Thus overall, despite the small number of rheumatologists, rheumatology in Malaysia has made encouraging progress over the past 2 decades, but improvements in patient care, training, education and research need to continue in the future.