Tropical disease on the rise in Quetta

There has been a significant increase in cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases

QUETTA:

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is witnessing a significant increase of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases in Quetta, Balochistan.

CL is one of the main neglected tropical diseases in Pakistan and it is a major public health concern in the country and in the province of Balochistan.

“MSF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health runs three diagnosis and treatment center of CL in Quetta district including Health Centre in Kuchlak, Benazir Bhutto Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex, where there are currently 1,067 patients under treatment,” Katrin Mielck, MSF project coordinator in Quetta said.

“In 2022 alone, our teams have screened 8,391 patients for CL and 4,678 people started their treatment in Quetta, while in total 11,424 people were screened and 6,688 patients were enrolled in the treatment programme in Khyber Pakhtunkwa and Balochistan,” he added.

MSF is the largest healthcare provider of CL treatment in Balochistan, and its services are completely free of cost.

“Considering a significant increase in patients, there is a need for widespread awareness on CL so that patients can prevent themselves from the bites of the sandfly, and the patients have seek early diagnosis and treatment,” Katrin Mielck, further said.”Moreover, it is essential that people can access to effective and safe treatment free of cost where they live in order to ward off the disease”. Indeed, despite the fact that CL is a curable disease, the treatment is not widely available in public healthcare facilities in the country, and it is often expensive.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2023.