PESHAWAR, Dec 26: The Global Fund against Tuberculosis, Malaria and Aids (GFTMA) has started providing loans to patients with malaria and TB in villages of the Frontier Region, Peshawar.

The Fund had also provided equipment, worth one million rupees, to be installed in health centres in Akbar Hussain, Gul Akbar, Kohai and Boora villages of FR Peshawar for the free diagnostic and treatment facilities for expecting mothers and children suffering from TB and Malaria, GFTMA’s district project officer Dr Atiqur Rehman said.

He said 30 TB patients would be given Rs25,000 loan each. The patients would return the amount in easy instalments. A committee had been formed to recommend names of the most deserving patients. The loan would be utilised by the patients for setting up small businesses.

“Under this programme, the patients would get treatment as well as economic support. This would benefit the TB patients who needed 8-month continuous treatment,” he said.

He said the Fund would also provide microscopes, reagents and electricity generators to these health centres.

Dr Rehman said two and half years ago the local chapter of the Fund had launched an awareness programme against TB and malaria in seven districts, including FR Peshawar, Nowshera, Multan, Kasur, Dadu, Mastun and Kashmir. During this period, he said, training on diagnosis and case management of TB and malaria had been given to lady health visitors, doctors and technicians.

According to him, TB was prevalent among 177 people out of 100,000 in this part of the world and said that the Fund had provided free diagnostic and treatment facilities. He said lady health visitors, doctors and technicians reported about the prevalence of TB and malaria on a monthly basis to the National TB Control Programme and National Malaria Control Programme, Islamabad.

Dr Rehman said there was a need to launch a campaign about the importance of cleanliness. Most of the diseases were the direct outcome of dirtiness and prevalent unhygienic conditions, he added.