SWABI, Aug 12: The district TB control centre will launch a public awareness programme about the disease, says an official.

"Without increasing the people's awareness, it is difficult to eradicate this disease," head of the district TB Control Programme Dr Mohammad Sherin Khan said here on Thursday.

He said that patient suffering from tuberculosis were provided free medicines at TB control centres. Referring to the public awareness campaign, he said that walks and seminars would be held to reach the common people, adding that a similar campaign would also be initiated at the union council level.

He said that some of the TB patients leave their treatment incomplete, saying they the lady health workers had been tasked to educate the patients in their respective regions.

He said that the number of patients was 721 in 2001, 692 in 2002 and 768 in 2003, adding 436 patients had registered with the centre so far this year.

Highlighting the ease of medicine procurement by patients, he said that there were 48 treatment centres spread all over the district.