IN Pakistan, 300,000 (35pc) patients of chronic liver disease and liver cancer need liver transplantation, according to a study published in Journal of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (Jan-April, 2013 vol 12:No 1).

In Pakistan, 10 million people are infected by hepatitis C. It is a high burden disease and WHO labelled Pakistan at second position after Egypt. In Sindh, one million people are chronic carriers of hepatitis B and 1.7 million are chronic carriers of hepatitis C.

Cirrhosis is one of the major causes of mortality. Liver cancer owing to chronic liver disease affects 12 out of 100,000 males and four out of 100,000 females in Pakistan. These patients can be saved by transplanting liver.

The problem is the availability of organs. Four million people in the world have hepatitis and 1.4 million die every year. This is caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E which are transmitted through different routes.

A and E viruses are transmitted through contaminated food and water, B through blood and other body fluids and C mostly from blood. Most of the patients recover, while a small number die in acute hepatitis but B and C become chronic and lead to cirrhosis and cancer. There is vaccination for hepatitis A and B while there is no vaccine for other viruses. Therefore prevention is important.

The causes of spread are infected blood, reused injections, razor blades, body piercing equipment, unsterilised surgical, dental and circumcision equipment. Patients suffering from chronic liver disease and liver cancer can be saved by liver transplantation.

Society has to come forward in favour of organ donation after death to help save lives.

Murli Dhar

Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2015

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