PESHAWAR, Feb 17: The Global Fund against Tuberculosis, Malaria and Aids (GFTMA) will impart training to teachers, tribal elders and councillors in an effort to raise the level of awareness about these diseases.

This was stated by Dr Ghulam Murtaza Shah, GBTMA technical advisor, Islamabad, during his meeting with Attaur Rehman, assistant political agent of the Frontier Region (FR), Peshawar, here on Friday.

He said that the GFTMA had launched an awareness programme under the basic development need (BDN) programme against TB and malaria in seven districts, including FR, Peshawar, Nowshera, Multan, Kasur, Dadu, Mastun and Kashmir, during which it would try its level best to train health workers on diagnosis and case management of TB and malaria. He said that the FR, Peshawar, had been divided into four sectors.

Citing the WHO’s estimates, he said that TB was prevalent among 177 people out of 100,000 in this part of the world and said that his organisation was committed to providing free diagnostic and treatment facilities to all patients.

The fund’s FR Peshawar Coordinator Dr Atiqur Rehman informed that a three-day training workshop for lady health visitors, doctors and technicians had been planned in Lahore from Feb 22.

He said that lady health visitors, doctors and technicians would report about prevalence of TB and malaria on a monthly basis to the National TB Control Programme and National Malaria Control Programme, Islamabad.

He said that the Global Fund was providing microscopes and other desired equipment at the local health facilities in FR, Peshawar, so that patients could be diagnosed promptly.

Dr Atiq said that there was a great need to launch a campaign among the people about the significance of cleanliness, and added that most of the diseases were the direct outcome of dirtiness and prevalent unhygienic conditions.