MSF opened a cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment centre in Peshawar in May 2018







The centre admits 250 to 300 patients every month

Dr. Parvez Khan
MSF Medical Activity Manager

Since we have started this project, in the past 13 months, we have treated more than 2,000 cases. And the patient satisfaction level is very high.
An outbreak of this parasitic skin disease started six months ago in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

About 28,000 cases have been reported since November 2018

Dr. Parvez Khan
MSF Medical Activity Manager

In southern part of Peshawar, the disease has been identified as an emergency in the last two months.
Dr. Parvez Khan
MSF Medical Activity Manager

The disease is very common in poor people. Socio-economic status is directly linked with the burden of the disease.
Meglumine antimoniate is the only treatment option for patients in Pakistan.

But it is not widely available.

Although not fatal, cutaneous leishmaniasis cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions can cause severe psychological trauma..


Suzette Kämink
MSF focal point for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Pakistan
You can imagine how terrible it is when you walk with such a big wound on your face. People say, Oh my God, this probably has very bad disease, so I will ignore this person’. How will you feel about it? You will ashamed about this. You are going to walk like this. You isolate yourself from the family. Maybe the family does not want to show you. That you can join the meal. Because they think, we hide this person because she looks ugly or he looks ugly. If you get swelling on your feet, you may not be working anymore. People see you as useless. It really mentally gives such a stress, so much depression.
MSF’s treatment centre is the only facility in the province which provides specialised CL treatment.


In the past year, MSF’s treatment centre has admitted patients from 25 districts

MSF also treats CL in Quetta and Kuchlak in Balochistan province, where it is the biggest provider of treatment for the disease.



Dr. Siraj Muhammad
Medical Superintendent
NKBM Hospital, Peshawar
During this one year, the services that we have provided through this project, are above and better than our expectations.

Dr. Rauf Khattak
Skin Specialist
NKBM hospital, Peshawar
The centre’s biggest benefit is that it raised awareness in people. If people have a lesion for a week or two, they now rush here for treatment. In the past, there were not even aware if there is a treatment for this or not.
Dr. Siraj Muhammad
Medical Superintendent
NKBM hospital, Peshawar
MSF hasn’t just provided services through this centre, but also supported the health department regarding leishmaniasis. We are thankful to MSF that it gave support on this issue in different angles.
Nine out of 10 members of Muhammad Jannat’s family were bitten by sandflies.

Each trip from their village to the treatment centre costs about 1,400 rupees (17 EUR).

Muhammad Jannat
Father

Every household in my area has patients. No house is spared. I would say a centre should be established in our area, so people can get treatment. Poor people can’t reach Peshawar. I came here, maybe someone else who earns money would reach here. But a poor person can’t reach here.
MSF is shortly opening another treatment centre in Bannu to address the needs of people in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

MSF expects to admit 300 new patients every month from the outset