PESHAWAR, Feb 7: People are being screened under the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis Control Programme in high-risk districts of the province to ascertain the prevalence rate of hepatitis and undertake measures to arrest the spread of the disease, an official said.

“We are in contact with the Pakistan Tobacco Company to carry out blood screening of people in the tobacco-producing districts,” he said.

Mardan, Swabi, Buner, Mansehra and Dir were the districts in the NWFP where the disease was more prevalent, he said, adding that the response of the PTC was being awaited.