Health Ministry aims for zero leprosy cases by 2030
The Ministry of Health (MoH) aims for zero new local leprosy cases by 2030, said minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the cumulative number of leprosy cases until the 18th Epidemiological Week, as at May 4, was 66 nationwide, including 24 cases in Sabah.
“The targeted efforts to detect and treat leprosy cases early in the field need to be intensified as a step towards achieving the target of zero new local leprosy cases,” he said when launching the national-level World Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Leprosy Day at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here yesterday.
Dr Dzulkefly said the MoE also provided the single-dose rifampicin as a prophylaxis to leprosy contacts and at-risk communities to prevent the spread of leprosy.
For tuberculosis, he said a total of 8,856 cases were recorded during the same period, including 1,944 cases in Sabah.
He said tuberculosis could be cured by adhering to the prescribed treatment schedule with daily intake of antituberculosis drugs for at least six months.
“Misunderstandings about tuberculosis, such as it being caused by ‘santau’ (black magic), need to be corrected,” he said, while stressing that untreated tuberculosis could lead to death.
During the same period, he said a total of 120 cases of human malaria infection and 683 cases of zoonotic malaria infection were recorded nationwide, with five cases of human malaria infection and 404 cases of zoonotic infection in Sabah.
Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly said a total of 401 projects to upgrade clinics and strengthen healthcare facilities nationwide were in progress this year, with an estimated cost of RM150 million.
He said in Sabah alone, 55 of these projects costing RM21.5 million were underway and expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“We are committed to completing these projects soon,” he said.
He said three ‘sick’ projects under the MoE in Sabah had been identified, namely the construction of the Sikuati Health Clinic in Kudat, and upgrading works at Papar Hospital and Tambunan Hospital’s outpatient department.