Jambi – An outbreak of leprosy has reached an endemic stage in Tanjungjabung regency, with one person in six per 10,000 suffering from the disease, which causes legions to form on the skin and remains highly stigmatized.

The regency health agency has recorded 62 cases of leprosy between January and March this year spread across three districts: Nipah Panjang, Sungai Lokan and Sungai Jambat.

"We predict that the number of people with leprosy is larger since many of them do not go to hospitals," head of the agency Thamrin Madjid said on Friday. "Some people are still ashamed of the disease. They think that it's God curse."

East Tanjungjabung Regent Abdullah Hich has instructed community health centers and midwives to report and call people to bring their relatives and neighbors infected with the disease to nearby health centers for treatment.