Jakarta, Aug. 4 -- The Indonesian Ministry of Health stated that under the 2026 Free Health Screening (CKG) program, it identified 13,297 suspected leprosy cases among 25.2 million participants aged one and older.

The ministry added screenings for leprosy, scabies, and yaws to the nationwide program starting in 2026 to accelerate the elimination of these diseases in Indonesia.

Speaking in Jakarta on Tuesday, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin noted that despite being known for so long, many still view leprosy as a curse, creating a stigma that hinders detection efforts and delays treatment.

"Because of the stigma, people hesitate, even though it can easily be detected through the CKG program," he said.

According to him, antibiotic tr...