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Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Health Department said leprosy, a type of contagious skin disease, can be fully cured if treatment is administered early and done properly.

It said the signs of one possibly contracting this disease is when white or copper coloured spots that are not itchy start to appear on the skin.

There is a possibility that one has gotten the disease if they start to lose their sense of touch, or lost it completely.

The other signs are when one starts to lose their muscle strengths on the arms and legs, without any known reasons.

It said one should immediately seek medical attention of any of these points above checks.

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa had said the Health Ministry remains committed to tackling leprosy issues with control and prevention activities targeting at-risk groups at the locality and district levels

She said this in a statement in conjunction with the Jan 30 World Leprosy Day themed “Act Now: End Leprosy”.

She said Malaysia recorded a 15.5 per cent increase in new leprosy cases in 2022, with 164 cases compared to 142 in 2021. Dr Zaliha said the increase was a result of active detection in endemic localities carried out by health personnel at the district level.