PESHAWAR, Oct 11: The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over suspected cases of hepatitis in earthquake-hit areas of the NWFP and called for measures to control the disease.

“About 69 suspected cases of hepatitis were reported from the quake-hit areas of the NWFP in the last week of September, and the same number of cases was reported the week before,” said a WHO official working for a project to prepare a report about health situation in the quake-hit zone of the province.

He said most of relief agencies had left the area and it was the government’s responsibility to fill the vacuum.

The official said 1,254 cases of malaria were reported in the last week of September, which were almost double the cases reported in the third week.

He said causes of surge in malaria and hepatitis cases were being investigated.

He said 10 suspected cases of measles were reported from Mansehra and Battagram districts, and seven cases of meningitis were reported.

Citing a report prepared by the WHO, he said seven patients of jaundice were reported from a field hospital in Garhi Habibullah, Mansehra.

He said 922 cases of gastroenteritis were reported from the Battagram district, and 1,304 patients visited field hospitals for acute respiratory infection.

In Mansehra, 2,197 patients consulted doctors in field hospitals for gastroenteritis and 226 complained of malaria, whereas the number of people suffering from acute respiratory infection was 4,989, he added.

He said 165,086 patients had been examined in field hospitals in quake-affected districts of the NWFP.

The official said 17,938 patients of respiratory infection, 9,417 of gastroenteritis, 5,540 of fever and 4,512 wounded people were examined during the last week of September.

He said that of the patients suffering from respiratory infection, 28 per cent were below the age of five years, and 18 per cent children were above five years of age, adding that the number of respiratory infection cases among children below five years of age had increased.

He said 10,016 cases of gastroenteritis were reported in the last week of September against 9,417 cases reported the week before.

He said 11.7 per cent and

11.2 per cent cases of gastroenteritis were reported from Mansehra and Battagram, respectively.

The WHO official said 642 cases of dysentery were reported from the region in September’s last week against 603 cases reported in the third week.