KOHAT: Taking notice of absence of vaccine for treatment of leishmaniasis, district nazim Naseem Afridi on Friday urged the provincial government to supply it as early as possible to control spread of the disease.

The nazim was briefed about the disease by experts from RAHA-UNHCR and primary health care department during a workshop at Liaquat Memorial Hospital.

The disease affected 746 people last year and 150 cases had been reported in 2019 in Kohat which are being taken care of.

The speakers said that people should keep their houses clean, use mosquito nets and spray the homes to protest themselves from the sand fly bite.

They said that it affected some of the poorest people and was associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and lack of financial resources.

The nazim said that the affected patients were being provided treatment at the medical facilities.

BYPASS DEMANDED: The residents of Muslimabad Town on the Indus Highway have demanded construction of a bypass in the area to stop killing of the people in road accidents.

Speaking at an open forum, the village nazim, councillors and elders pointed out that many children had been killed while playing on the roadside outside their homes by speeding vehicles.

The women waiting for transport were also not safe.

They also raised the issues regarding shortage of potable water, irrigation, inflated electricity bills, loadshedding, dilapidated school buildings, staff shortage, etc.

Speaking on the occasion, additional assistant commissioner Tahir Ali assured the people of taking up their issues with the relevant quarters.

He said that he would talk to the deputy commissioner for construction of bypass keeping in view road accidents in the area.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2019