For many older adults, feeling well today does not always mean being prepared for the years ahead.A public awareness survey focused on adult respiratory health in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines has discovered at least one in three respondents are not managing their health as well as they should, even though over 70 percent aim to achieve good fitness and health. The 1-year survey, involving more than 200,000 adults across the four countries, was launched simultaneously in conjunction with World Immunization Week.
Pfizer Malaysia together with key opinion leaders launched the “For the Reasons that Matter” campaign to highlight the survey findings as well as the impact of severe respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumococcal pneumonia, on quality of life, independence, and patients’ ability to stay present for loved ones and important responsibilities. [https://tinyurl.com/yc5dueec. Accessed on 21 May 2026]
“Across all four of our markets, we are seeing a clear gap between what adults want for their health and the steps they take to protect it,” said Deborah Seifert, Cluster Lead, Pfizer Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines. Many adults place great importance on staying healthy, yet conversations about respiratory health are often postponed until symptoms become urgent, she added.
Thus, the “For the Reasons that Matter” campaign was designed to make conversations about respiratory health more relevant, personal and actionable. It aims to promote healthy ageing, with healthcare professionals serving as essential guides in the conversations, said Seifert.
In older adults, the effects of serious respiratory illnesses such as RSV, influenza, COVID-19, and pneumococcal pneumonia, can extend far beyond the acute illness itself. As the body ages, recovery becomes slower, complications become more likely, and a single respiratory event can set off a cascade of health challenges, ranging from deconditioning and falls to cognitive decline and loss of independence, said Professor Dr Tan Maw Pin, Professor of Geriatric Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
“When I ask my patients what they want from ageing, nobody says they want to live as long as possible. What they say is: I want to stay independent. I want to keep playing with my grandchildren. I want to travel. I do not want to be a burden,” noted Tan. Respiratory health is central to that vision. Decisions made in the 50s and 60s help determine what the 70s and 80s will look like. This is not about fear, but about agency—and choosing the kind of older adult to become, she added.
According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2025, only about 15 percent of older Malaysians are ageing well across all five key markers of healthy ageing—optimal health, physical, psychological, cognitive and social—and this figure declines further with advancing age. [https://tinyurl.com/4cye7v2b. Accessed on 21 May 2026]
For many adults, feeling well today does not necessarily mean being well prepared for the years ahead. In those already living with diabetes, hypertension, or other chronic conditions, serious respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and pneumococcal pneumonia rarely occur in isolation. They can disrupt years of carefully managed health, lead to hospitalisation, and place a burden on families that often goes unnoticed until it is already being felt. [https://tinyurl.com/3ttxfbmr. Accessed on 21 May 2026, Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022;13:919223, https://tinyurl.com/mrxkx5ec. Accessed on 21 May 2026]