The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has released its annual statistics, revealing that more than 370,000 cases of respiratory diseases were reported last year, marking the highest number on record.
The data underscores a significant public health focus while highlighting the agency's ongoing efforts to fortify the nation's medical infrastructure and preventive care programmes.
According to the report, respiratory ailments dominated the infectious disease landscape. A staggering 370,593 cases were logged, with the vast majority—369,232—being attributed to asthma. Additionally, health authorities reported 1,178 cases of influenza and 183 cases of COVID-19. Other commonly reported illnesses included 21,986 cases of diarrhea and vomiting, 52,148 cases of eye disease, 2,537 cases of pneumonia, and 188 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease.
In response to these challenges, the HPA is aggressively expanding its vaccination programme, a critical shield against many communicable diseases. Last year saw the addition of two new vaccination centres in the Male’ area and the introduction of two new vaccines to the national schedule. To ensure vaccine efficacy, a major upgrade to the cold chain infrastructure was completed, distributing 134 refrigerators and freezers, 210 voltage stabilisers, 120 cold carriers, and over 1,100 temperature monitors nationwide.
Looking beyond infectious threats, the report also addressed non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which remain the leading cause of death in the Maldives, accounting for 84 percent of fatalities. To combat this, the HPA screened 30,630 individuals from 12 atolls last year for early signs of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and lung disease.
Further public health initiatives showed positive results in tobacco control. Expanded cessation services treated 2,003 people for seizures related to quitting, the National Quit Line assisted 770 individuals, and 375 people successfully quit smoking in the past year.
The HPA also detailed its border health security measures. In 2025, 6,748 arrivals from countries with yellow fever risk were screened. Additionally, through the online OneGov system, 803 individuals underwent mandatory medical screenings for work visas, with 258 deemed unfit for clearance.
HPA’s plans for the coming year include enhancing disease monitoring and establishing an early public warning system, increasing cervical cancer screening in line with WHO eradication standards, expanding tuberculosis screening and control, and developing a comprehensive new master plan for tobacco control.