February 22, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 23, 1427

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ATTOCK, Feb 21: Hepatitis B and C are spreading fast in the country with use of recycled syringes being responsible for about 90 per cent of the cases. This was stated by District Coordinator Health Dr Mohammad Afzal Mirza while talking to a group of the Central Union of Journalists about the root-causes of hepatitis-B and preventive measures to control the deadly disease here on Monday evening.

Dr Afzal, who carried out a research to ascertain the causes of the disease, said used disposable items like syringes, catheters, surgical gloves, drips and swabs could not be disposed of and the companies reused them as raw material in preparation of new ones.

Despite installation of incinerators in main hospitals by the health department, he said, most of the times these items reached scavengers who sold them in the market from where they went to the companies.

“It is the responsibility of the state to implement the existing laws and rid the people of the menace, while NGOs, health organizations and other stakeholders should launch awareness programmes about the causes and preventive measures of this silent killer,” he stated.

Dr Afzal expressed concern over the hepatitis B and C patients’ dietary attitude to avoid some food items which were otherwise beneficial for their health and strengthened immunity.

He said it was observed through surveys and reports that the ratio of hepatitis B and C was increasing at an alarming proportion in the country due to careless attitude of people and other stakeholders.

Unfortunately, he said, in Pakistan the incidence of hepatitis B was rising which could be attributed to the use of infected apparatus of surgeons and barbers, ear and nose piecing needles and infected mothers.

Moreover, he added, due to the lack of diagnostic facilities many patients could not know that they were suffering from hepatitis B and transmitted the disease to others.