Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan has the world’s second highest prevalence of Hepatitis C, after Egypt as almost 10 million of its citizens are suffering from this disease.

Over 5 million are infected with Hepatitis B. This means one in every 12 Pakistanis is stricken with this disease without being aware of its symptoms.

These opinions were expressed by experts in an awareness seminar arranged by the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI) to commemorate World Hepatitis Day 2018 with an aim to raise awareness about preventive measures for lowering the risk of Hepatitis on Saturday.

Government officials, medical specialists, social workers, representatives from healthcare organisations, students from various educational institutions, representatives of corporate sector and individuals from other walks of life attended the seminar.

PKLI President and Chief Executive Officer Professor Dr Saeed Akhtar, Gastroenterology & Hepatology Chairman Dr Abdul Nadir, heads of departments, consultants and other staff members of the hospital participated in the event.

PKLI President and CEO Dr Saeed Akhtar said that PKLI has served more than 500,000 patient visits for Hepatitis relief under its Hepatitis Prevention & Treatment Programme since the launch of the first Hepatitis Prevention & Treatment Clinic in March 2017. Currently, about 3,000 patients are daily being seen and provided with screening, vaccination and treatment completely free of charge at all the 24 Hepatitis Prevention & Treatment Clinics in different districts, the CEO added.

On the other hand, Primary and Secondary Health Punjab Secretary Ali Bahadar Qazi has said that Punjab government is utilising all possible resources to achieve the target of elimination of hepatitis by 2030 as committed with World Health Organisation (WHO). He said that enthusiastic community is essential to achieve this goal.

He expressed these views while talking to the media after heading the awareness walk on the eve of world hepatitis day at Liberty Chowk, Gulberg. Deputy Commissioner Lahore Anwarul Haq, Punjab Hepatitis Control Program Director Dr Zahida Sarwar, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Shahnaz, CEO Health Lahore Saeedullah Khan and a large number of leady health workers, representations of international development partners and a large number of paramedics participated in the walk.

The mean theme of World Hepatitis Day is Finding The Missing Millions which means such people who are career of hepatitis B or C but they did not aware of this fact could be persuaded. The health secretary said that everybody should go through blood screening to detect the disease as the early detection can make easy to overcome the disease by timely medication. The participants of the walk were caring play cards and banners having slogans regarding the awareness of the disease.

Similarly, a vigorous campaign for the eradication of hepatitis B & C should be launched on the pattern of anti-polio campaign in collaboration of health experts and community participation so that the target of elimination of hepatitis could be achieved as committed with the WHO.

These views were expressed by the public health experts and clinicians while addressing an awareness seminar organised by Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology to observe World Hepatitis Day. Professor Giasun Nabi Tayyab, Associate Professor Israrul Haq Toor, Professor Anwar A Khan, Professor Shumail Zafar, Professor Nusratullah Chaudhry, Dr Zahida Sarwar and other health experts addressed the seminar.

Professor Giasun Nabi Tayyab was of the opinion that 250,000 new patients of hepatitis included every year in the system. The health experts said that by avoiding inoculation of unnecessary injections, always use of new disposable syringe, transfusion of screened blood and use of sterilised instruments of dentists and surgeons as well as new blades by the barbers can protect the people from the infection of blood borne diseases.

Dr Zahida and Professor Tayyab said that government has established a network of hepatitis clinics. Dr Zahida said that free of cost diagnostics and treatment facilities including medicines are being provided in the hepatitis clinics setup in district and tehsil headquarter hospitals.

Moreover, Gastroenterology Departments have also been established in the teaching hospitals attached with the medical colleges by the Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department where treatment and diagnostic facilities are being provided the experts were of the view that everybody has to get blood test for diagnosis of hepatitis B & C so that if the test is positive early treatment could be started. They advised that healthy people should prevent themselves from hepatitis B by getting vaccinated. A large number of senior professors of different medical colleges and experts from Post Graduate Medical Institute Lahore General Hospital, nurses and paramedics attended the seminar.

Published in Daily Times, July 29^th 2018.