Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Health Department reported a sharp increase in cases of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) this year, but the situation remains under control.
Sabah Health Department Director Dr Maria Suleiman said a total of 1,406 HFMD cases were recorded during Epidemiological Week 18, a significant rise compared to 266 cases during the same period in 2024 marking an increase of 428 per cent.
Advertisement“Currently, we are seeing an increase in HFMD cases in Sabah. However, thanks to the control measures and care initiatives we’ve implemented, the situation is under control, and the number of cases is gradually decreasing.
“Despite the surge, proactive control measures have led to a downward trend in recent weeks.
“With the interventions and care we’ve put in place, the HFMD situation in Sabah is currently under control and showing signs of improvement,” she said when commenting on the current situation of HFMD cases in Sabah after opening the State-level 2025 Nurses’ Day celebrations and blood donation programme themed “Our Nurses, Our Future, Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies’ held at of Queen Elizabeth II Hospital here on Tuesday.
Cumulatively, Dr Maria said Sabah registered 6,919 HFMD cases during Epidemiological Week 1 to Week 18, which spans the period from January 1 up to May 10 (Saturday), this year.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});She is awaiting the latest figures for the current week, which typically runs from Sunday through Saturday.
She said the department continues to monitor the situation closely and urged parents and caregivers to maintain good hygiene practices, avoid crowded places if children show symptoms, and seek early treatment to prevent further spread.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health recorded a total of 99,601 cases of HFMD.
Nationwide as of Week 17 this year, with Selangor recorded the highest number of cases at 27, 118 cases, followed by Johor with 9,864 cases, Perak with 9,347 cases, Kelantan with 7,147 cases, Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur ( and Putrajaya with 6,850 cases.
The Ministry stated that no deaths related to HFMD cases had been reported.