Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for coordinated efforts by federal and provincial governments and all stakeholders to eradicate Hepatitis C from Pakistan, vowing to promote and expand the PM’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme countrywide. Speaking at a recognition ceremony here, marking the successful completion of the pilot project of the PM’s National Hepatitis C Elimination Programme in Gilgit Baltistan, the prime minister emphasized the importance of the initiative in addressing the widespread impact of the disease in the country. Acknowledging the significant support from the Aga Khan Development Network and the World Health Organization (WHO) in this initiative, he said that the hepatitis unit was initially established at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) and was later expanded to provide 100% free treatment facilities. The prime minister expressed regret that when the new government took office in 2018, the program was discontinued. However, he said that shortly after assuming the office of Prime Minister, he resumed the program, which was now operational in Punjab under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. “We see a bright future of Gilgit Baltistan and subsequently other parts of Pakistan,” he said expressing the confidence that with the efforts of the incumbent government, Hepatitis C will be completely erased from the country very soon. “This aggressive disease is spreading. This is high time to effectively control this disease,” he said. The prime minister told the gathering the federal government was in the process of establishing Jinnah Medical Centre in Islamabad which would prove to John Hopkins Hospital of Pakistan in public healthcare. Earlier, he distributed shields among the contributors to the pilot project of Gilgit Baltistan including Minister for Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal, Minister of State Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, NADRA Chairman, WHO Representative in Pakistan and others. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, speaking on the occasion, highlighted that Pakistan had the highest spread of Hepatitis C, calling it a matter of great concern. He said the success of hepatitis programme manifested the model of public-private partnership and also the coordination between federal and provincial governments. He said the government was hopeful of eliminating the disease 2029 as the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C elimination program will not only save millions of lives but also contribute to boosting the country’s economic productivity. Minister for National Health Syed Mustafa Kamal, lauding the prime minister’s vision of eliminating Hepatitis C from the country, assured him of his full support to successfully eliminate the disease from the country by 2030. Highlighting the significance of preventive healthcare, he said the treatment of 10 million cases was difficult. World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Pakistan Dr Lou Dapeng said the Organization will continue to stand side by side with Pakistan in supporting its programme to completely eliminate the disease. He thanked the GB and AJK governments and their health departments for their swift action and excellent leadership in the pilot program. He said that screening of 14000 people across two union councils was a commendable achievement and assured of WHO’s technical and operational support. Member Task Force of PM’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme, Dr Saeed Akhtar informed that Rs 68 billion were committed for the programme which will be completed in two phases. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Minister of State Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath were also present on the occasion.