UKM study shows Malaysia needs more speech therapists
Malaysia is facing a shortage of speech therapists, as the level of awareness on the subject and profession is still low among the younger generation. According to Dr Hasherah Mohd Ibrahim of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, a study conducted by the university found students preferred other health professions such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, over speech science.
“In general, it is estimated that 5% to 10% of the population worldwide suffers from speech related problems, and if this percentage is used in Malaysia, about 2.8 million people are suffering from speech problems which require the services of a speech therapist,” she said. The Malay Mail Online
