Leishmania disease affects over 14000 in Landikotal

Ahmad Nabi

LANDI KOTAL: The disease of Leishmania has got uncontrolled as numbers of affectees have reached to 14000 in all three Teshils of Khyber Agency, health department said.

The more affected areas of Landi Kotal were including Shiekhmal Khel, Mirdad Khel, Bazaar Zakha Khel, Khuga Khel, Khyber and Pased Khel while the disease is rapidly spreading in localities of Ali Masjid, Lala Cheena, Godar and Shahkas of Jamrud, while Aka Khel and Bar-Kamber Khel of Tehsil Bara are the more affected areas of Khyber Agency, the sources said.

According to health official Leishmania caused biting of a kind of mosquito namely, Sand fly present in hilly area and usually breed in fresh water. Dr Fazal Razeq, skin specialist in Agency Headquarter Hospital said, Sand fly that had been transported from Europe to Pakistan stung on exposed portion of human body in morning and evening times and could fly up to height of four to five feet and that was the reason that children were the more affectees of it.

He further added after biting of the fly, it developed as skin soar and if not treated spotted the affected area especially the face. It took 14 days to four months to treat the patient and the cure was carried out through vaccine (injection), medicine and crytherophy keeping in view condition of the disease, he stated. “Covering of ponds, clearing of drainage system, conducting of anti-mosquito spray regularly, use of dress that covers whole body and installing of nets on windows and entrances before going to sleep are the main preventions necessary to curtain the Sand fly breeding and halt to spread of the disease”, Dr Razeq maintained.

One of affectee, daughter of Arab Shah, resident of Dargay, Kam-Shelman said that two months back she had got Leishmania and repeatedly visiting the hospital for cure but ironically no facility for treatment of the disease was available. The hospital medicines stores lacked required vaccine and medicine that caused deterioration of their disease, she added. Ameen ullah of Mirdad Khel, whose daughter Marwa 9,was recently bite by the mosquito said that in private market price of Leishmania injection was beyond of his buying capability as he was a daily wager and therefore he took his daughter to the hospital to benefit of free treatment but to in avail.

The effected families demanded of the authorities concerned to supply them needed vaccine of the disease so that to get rid off of the illness and to conduct anti-mosquito spray in the area to halt spread of the disease. When Agency surgeon Khyber Agency Dr Ayub was contacted on the matter he said that the data of the Leishmania patients along with grievance had been convoyed to the Director of Health FATA for forthwith action but unluckily there was shortage of the vaccine and medicine in the market and the health department beside the political administration striving hard to arrange the needed medication from somewhere even from abroad to facilitate the tribesmen.

“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 most affected areas to strictly follow the prevention practices so that to restrict further expansion of the disease.