Return of Lashmania

The fatal Lashmania fever visits certain settled and tribal districts of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa every year, claiming a number of lives. But neither its preventive aspect nor curative side has been taken seriously so far. No strategy is in place which is implanted by the district administrations through respective TMAs and Veterinary Health Department for smashing Sand Fly and its larvae. Media reports tell about the spread of Lashmania in Tank and some other districts. The number of infected people has gone up to 1140 including 800 infections in Tank alone.

Last year when Lashmania broke out, World Health Organisation had provided 3000 vials for treatment of patients who were admitted in hospitals. As public relation exercise, the provincial government had claimed to have floated tender for the purchase of injections which are required for the treatment of Lashmania fever but it did not tell that tender for which brand of injections and tablets and to which pharmaceutical firms had issued. It was also not told as to whether Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has registered the pharmaceutical firms from which the required injections are to be purchased. DRAP prefer to remain in deep slumber until it is strongly jolted for registering medicines of pharmaceutical firms for which demand comes from provincial governments for treatment of disease of recurring nature. In the neighbouring countries including Afghanistan and India, Amphotercin injections and Meltefocine tablets had given equally satisfactory results in the treatment of Lashmania. Doctors usually prefer oral medication being safer as compared with treatment by injections. Wait and see how provincial government swings into action to control the spread of Lashmania as there is no fulltime Health Minister at present.