HYDERABAD, Feb 11: “Khadim-e-Pakistan Shehri Ittehad” has appealed to the philanthropists and NGOs to contribute their bit to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of Larkana and Dadu who had been afflicted with cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Speaking at a news conference at the Hyderabad Press Club here on Monday, the leaders of the organisation Nawab Mumtaz Leghari, Dr Rafique Ahmed, Dr Sher Ali Khowaja, Eijaz Ahmed Shahani, Eijaz Ahmed Bhatti and others said that according to a survey more than 4,000 people were afflicted by this malady.

He said that this disease had spread from a small village in Larkana district which was adjacent to Balochistan and out of 130 patients who had reported at the OPD, 115 were found suffering from this disease in the village.

They said children and women were more vulnerable to this disease which was caused by the sandfly bites. He said the most affected areas of Larkana and Dadu districts were Shahdad Kot, Sono Khan Chandio, Joonani, Wahipandi, Juhi village, Jamali village and Kambar of Larkana, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Kachho areas, Mehar and Juhi of district Dadu.

They said the Sindh government had taken a number of steps to combat the disease but more efforts were needed by the WHO and NGOs.

They recommended that sandfly should be destroyed through spray, awareness should be created through Radio, TV and print media, skin specialists should be dispatched to the affected areas and mobile medical teams should tour the affected villages.

Answering questions, the doctors team of the organisation said that at least ten injections were needed for one patient and added that these injections were being imported from Iran.

Speaking on the occasion, the former vice-chancellor Sindh University Dr G.A Allana said that the print media could and should play a vital role in creating awareness among the people about this disease.