Page 98 - ANUAL REPORT MOH 2017

• Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Activities
There are several TB prevention and control activities, such as
i. BCG Vaccination Programme - aim is to prevent severe TB disease during childhood especially
TB meningitis and miliary TB. BCG coverage was above 98 per cent since year 2000 onwards with
achievement of 98.5 per cent for 2017.
ii. Screening of Symptomatic TB Patients - In 2017, 603,671 patients (1,931 per 100,000 populations)
were screened for TB symptoms and 15,649 patients had positive AFB direct smear examination.
iii. Screening of Contact of Index Case TB at First Visit - Proportion for contact to be screen was 1:10
for each index case of TB. Total of 188,642 (72.09 per cent) contacts were examined at first visit
to healthcare facilities in 2017 (target 70 per cent). Contact cohort 2015 that were examined at
fourth was 10.71 per cent.
iv. Screening of High Risk Group TB - Symptomatic screening and chest radiograph screened about
666,127 high-risk groups in 2017. Of these screening, 3631 (0.5 per cent) were found to have TB.

• National Leprosy Control Program
Malaysia National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) launched in 1969 to control and reduce leprosy
burden in Malaysia. In 2017, total new leprosy cases were 214 cases which were slightly higher
compared to 206 cases in 2016. National elimination status achieved in 1994 continues being maintained
with the prevalence rate of leprosy in 2017 was 0.1 per 10,000 populations at the end of 2017.

From the total of 214 new registered leprosy cases in 2017, 73 per cent were in category case of
Multibacillary and 27 per cent Paucibacillary. Cases of multibacillary normally having high bacteriological
load and more prone as source of infection to others if untreated.

Most of our new leprosy cases among Malaysian is from remote geographical areas involving local
community in Sabah, Sarawak and our aborigines in Peninsular Malaysia. States with highest reported
cases were from Sabah (75 cases), Selangor (34 cases) and Pahang (19 cases). By district, Tawau,
Sabah reported highest cases (19 cases) followed by Gombak (16 cases).

Figure 13
Incidence Rate (IR) and Prevalence Rate (PR) of Leprosy (2001 to 2017)

Source: Disease Control Division, MoH

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA ANNUAL REPORT 2017 97