PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has banned XDR test for typhoid fever on the advice of National Institute of Health Islamabad.

On Thursday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Care Commission issued directives to all the district health officers, medical superintendents, chief executive officers and owners of the diagnostic centres in private sector to stop XDR diagnostic procedure so far conducted to investigate typhoid and warned of action against violation of the directive.

The directive has been issued in compliance of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division, National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad in a letter to health department which said that it was reported that typhoid fever was endemic in the country and outbreaks of Extensively Drug Resistant Salmonella Typhi (XDR S Typhi) had been reported since 2016 in different parts of the country.

Research has confirmed that XDR test conducted by clinical laboratories during typhoid fever was of no use and was just wastage of resources and therefore all clinical laboratories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were directed to stop it.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwn Health Care Commission will ensure compliance and in case of any contravention strict legal action will be initiated against the violators. Both public and private sector clinical laboratories have been asked to discontinue the test.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2020