PESHAWAR: Experts at a medical conference on Friday stressed the need for better research on and public awareness of vector-borne diseases to protect the people`s health.

The seventh undergraduate medical research conference was organised at the Peshawar Medical College with the theme `Vector-borne diseases: small creatures, big threat` Doctors and students from different parts of the country showed up in large numbers.

The organisers said the conference was aimed at increasing public awareness regarding the disease as well as bringing together young and fresh medical talent for their input in ways of preventing and treating diseases.

They said vector-borne disease included malaria, dengue, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and added that Pakistan had seen a sharp rise in all of them.

The organisers said in the last few years, there had been an alarming increase inpatients suffering from dengue in the province, where more than 4,000 people had tested positive for the disease in 2013.

Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, who was the chief guest on the occasion, expressed the hope that the conference would go a long way in promoting research and encouraging medial undergraduates into investing more time in research.

Dr Shoaib, chief medicinal officer of Rescue 1122, along with his core team gave a demonstration pertaining to emergencies.

Dr Mohammad Aman Khan, head of the community health department at the Peshawar Medical College, and Dr Fazal Zeeshan conducted a session on `research title selection: literature review and title selection`.

The posters depicting the researches presented by the students were displayed and presented by the students themselves.

At the first preliminary session titled `CrimeanCongo haemorrhagic fever` was held in the examination hall.