Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: Leishmania is spreading rapidly in all three tehsils of Khyber Agency, as the number of patients has reached 14,000, Health Department said Wednesday.

The worst affected areas of Landi Kotal include Shiekhmal Khel, Mirdad Khel, Bazaar Zakha Khel, Khuga Khel, Khyber and Pased Khel, sources said.

According to a health official, leishmania is caused by sandflies present in hilly areas. The flies usually breed in fresh water.

Dr Fazal Razeq, a skin specialist at Agency Headquarter Hospital, said that sandflies sting on exposed portion of human body in morning and evening times and can fly up to four to five feet.

It takes 14 days to four months to treat a patient by vaccination, medicines and cryotherapy keeping in view condition of the disease, he stated. “Covering of ponds, clearing of drainage system, fumigation and installation of mosquito nets on windows and entrances are some of precautionary measures necessary to curtail the sandfly breeding,” Dr Razeq maintained.

One of the victims said that she visited the hospital two months back but there were no treatment facilities.

Ameenullah, father of nine-year-old patient Marwa, said that he could not buy the pricey injection from the market for treatment of his daughter. He said that he had visited the hospital but of no avail.

The families of patients demanded the authorities concerned to supply them needed vaccine and conduct anti-mosquito spray in the area to halt breeding of the fly.

When contacted, Khyber Agency surgeon Dr Ayub said that the data of the patients along with their grievance had been convoyed to the FATA health director for forthwith action but unluckily there was a shortage of vaccine and medicine in the market.

“In near future the health department is going to conduct anti-mosquito spray across the agency and the nets will be distributed among the tribesmen of more vulnerable localities”, Dr Ayub added.

He asked residents of the worst-affected areas to strictly follow precautionary measures to restrict the spread of the disease.

Published in Daily Times, March 15^th 2018.