Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Aamer Mehmood Kiani says Islamabad will be made TB and Hepatitis free city for which various teams have been formed to create awareness to cope with these diseases.

Talking to media in Islamabad after kick starting a hiking event as part of an awareness drive against smoking, he said half million people annually are suffering from Tuberculosis.

The Minister said 3,50,000 TB patients are treated every year. He said 1,65,000 people remained unidentified as they do not come for screening. He said now we are going door-to-door to create awareness among masses against TB. He said TB and Hepatitis are curable diseases. He said strategy has been developed to eliminate or reduce all the causes creating tuberculosis TB. Clean environment policy, Taxes on cigarettes, Health card initiative, and hospitals upgrading are parts of the plan.

He said a three and half month course has been evolved for treatment of Hepatitis and people should not delay in coming to the health centers and starting treatment of the disease to avoid further complications.

He said every disease has its own economic impact on the country and only smoking cast an impact of 140 billion rupees. He urged the media to play its due role in creating awareness against smoking.

The Minister said people will see an impact on the primary and secondary health facilities till the end of this year and make Islamabad a model city. He said the government is going to provide health cards to 85,000 families of the federal capital.