HYDERABAD, July 27: The number of hepatitis-B and C cases in Sindh is over 1.3 million which require coordinated efforts to control rising mortality, says Provincial Coordinator of Prime Minister’s Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis in Sindh, Dr Zulfiqar Ali Gorar.

While talking to the correspondent on Friday he said, Pakistan like rest of the globe will observe the World Hepatitis Day on Saturday, July 28.

Around two billion people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis-B viral with 350 million chronic carriers and of hepatitis-C viral there are 170 million chronically infected he said adding that viral cases can be treated with proper attention and timely intervention.

Quoting figures, Dr Zulfiqar Gorar said the hepatitis-B and C prevalence in the country is three and five per cent, respectively and feared that some areas of Sindh may have the prevalence figure more than the national statistics.

He laid emphasis on the provision of clean drinking water for the control of hepatitis-A and E, while timely vaccination, discouraging reusing syringes and screening of blood before transfusion help in controlling the hepatitis-B and C, as these are blood borne and not water borne diseases.

Federal health ministry, through its prevention programme launched in 2005, pledged to control all types of Hepatitis in the country by 2010, he said.

The programme became operational in Sindh in May 2006 offering comprehensive preventive, diagnostic and curative package to 20 districts and teaching hospitals, he added.

The programme, he said, operates through a notified “Viral Hepatitis Control Committee” at hospitals with the committee comprising senior staff members with representatives from district governments.

About provision of safe drinking water in district hospitals and waste management, the doctor informed that the ministry has approved installation of incinerators and waste management system along with filter plants in eight hospitals of the province. He said the government also decided to launch a countrywide mass awareness campaign against different kinds of hepatitis, particularly B and C which is on the increase.—APP