‘14 million people exposed to hepatitis B & C in Pakistan’

In order to spread awareness about different types of hepatitis, Dr Ziauddin Hospital organised an interactive public awareness session titled “Find the Missing Millions” to mark World Hepatitis Day, said a press release issued on Monday.

Prof Zaigham Abbas, head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Ziauddin University & Hospital, in his informative lecture on this occasion, focused on the hurdles in hepatitis cure and the importance of screening and early diagnosis.

He said that a careful estimate number of hepatitis patients in Pakistan showed that around 14 million people had been exposed to hepatitis B and C. However, he said, the number of hepatitis-infected persons was much higher in Sindh and Balochistan.

According to Dr Abbas, every fifth death in Sindh is because of hepatitis B and C or complications caused by it. Approximately 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the population in the province is suffering with hepatitis B or C.

Further, he said that fatty liver disease was becoming another major health issue in Pakistan, with more than 10 million people living with viral hepatitis unaware nationwide. Without finding the diagnosed and linking them to care, they would continue to suffer, and lives would be lost.

He stressed the need for increasing awareness among the people about the risk factors, prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and C. During the awareness session, a documentary movie about the hepatitis control was shown by Prof Abbas, and it highlighted the mode of spread of hepatitis B and C in Pakistan.

According to Prof Abbas, there are five main hepatitis viruses, as types A, B, C, D and E, and unluckily all five hepatitis viruses are present in Pakistan. As it is quite obvious that hepatitis virus directly attacks the patient’s liver and if the liver does not work properly, there are many chances of the patient suffering from diseases like Ascites (fluid in the abdomen), portal hypertension (Increase blood pressure in liver sinusoids), cirrhosis (shrunken liver), liver cancer and kidney failure.

By explaining safety measurements of hepatitis, he exclaimed that we can save ourselves by following the principle of health hygiene. “For hepatitis A and E, we should drink home boiled water. Before eating vegetables and fruits, wash them properly. The biggest cause of hepatitis B, C and D is the transfer of blood from one body to another. We should avoid using unsterilised equipment, used syringe and shaving razor .We should avoid touching blood or blood drops of other hepatitis victim,” the press release quoted him as saying.

Earlier, an awareness walk was organised to sensitise the public about the disease. The event was attended by a large number of participants, including students, doctors, paramedical staff from different universities and hospitals, NGOs, social activists and general public.