ISLAMABAD: The World Hepatitis Day was observed on Tuesday, with a number of events organised in the federal capital to raise awareness about the disease among residents.

Hepatitis is a condition which causes the inflammation of the liver. And while there are five types of hepatitides, categorised from Hepatitis A to E, Hepatitis C is the most dangerous. Causing one million deaths around the world, Hepatitis C is the ninth leading cause of death.

During a media briefing, Gastroenterologist from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Dr Waseem Khawaja said that in Pakistan there are 12 million patients of hepatitis which means eight per cent of the population.

“150,000 people die in Pakistan every year because of complications from hepatitides B and C, while 90 per cent of healthy people recover from Hepatitis B in six months,” he said.

At Shifa International Hospital, Medicine and Gastroenterology Chief Dr Nasir Khokhar while speaking to participants at a seminar said that hepatitis has become global healthcare issue.

“An estimated four million people are infected with Hepatitis C in the US only. Around 4.5 per cent of the total Pakistani population is Hepatitis C positive, whereas 2.5 per cent of the population is infected with Hepatitis B,” he said.

He said people in the Asia Pacific region often become infected during blood transfusions and transplants. Infants born to infected mothers, intravenous drug user, healthcare workers, prisoners and sexually active individuals are most likely to be exposed to Hepatitis B.

“Fatigue, vascular spiders, enlarged or shrunken liver, enlarged spleen, softening of nail buds and bruising are some of the symptoms,” he said.

Another speaker Dr Mohammad Salih said that Hepatitis B infection can be prevented through vaccination, which is affective in 90 per cent of cases.

He urged that those who are infected with hepatitis must immediately start treatment to avoid more serious liver conditions such as liver cancer and liver failure.

“The disease has highest attack rate in 5 to 14 year olds. Contaminated water and food are also the main causes of hepatitis. Flies may carry diseases such as Hepatitis A, typhoid, amoebic dysentery and polio,” he said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement that it is focusing particularly on Hepatitides B and C this year as these cause an approximate 80 per cent of all deaths from liver cancer and kill close to 1.4 million people every year.

“WHO is alerting people to the risks of contracting hepatitis from unsafe blood, unsafe injections and sharing needles. Some 11 million people who inject drugs have Hepatitis B or C infection. Children born to mothers with Hepatitis B or C and sexual partners of people with hepatitis are also at risk of becoming infected,” says the press release.

According to the WHO, approximately two million people contract hepatitis from unsafe injections every year. These infections can be avoided through the use of sterile disposable syringes.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2015

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