MUZAFFARABAD: Health experts have warned that the hepatitis virus is rapidly spreading in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and can take a heavy toll on the people if the government and all concerned departments failed to take timely precautionary measures.

The warning came at a discussion on the prevention of hepatitis and defence against it, organised by the University of AJK in collaboration with Rahma Islamic Relief, a non-governmental organisation.

Late last year, the NGO had signed a MoU with the UAJK for the execution of its new project for the youth regarding the prevention and treatment of hepatitis.

Under the project, the charity had pledged to conduct blood screening of 6,000 students and 1,000 staff members. So far, 3,700 students have gone through the screening process and of them 100 have been found positive with the hepatitis B and C virus.

“If we have found 100 positive cases in a group of educated youth aged between 18 and 25 years when they are supposed to be in a good health, one can imagine how worse the situation might be among the illiterate and peripheral segments of society,” said UAJK assistant professor Dr Abdul Rauf, who has been designated as the focal person for the project.

While hepatitis A and E are caused by oral infection, contaminated water and unhygienic food, hepatitis B, C and D are caused by unsterilised syringes, contaminated shaving razors, sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and from mothers to infants.

Hepatitis C, a blood-borne liver infection, is usually referred to as a ‘silent killer.’

Recently, health experts had identified Premkot village, towards the south of Muzaffarabad, with over 25pc of its population suspected to be infected by hepatitis B and (or) C, added Dr Rauf.

“The most worrying aspect is the lack of awareness among the citizens about the causes and deadly effects of the infectious disease,” he said.

UAJK Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khawaja Mohammad Farooq said he would soon present a policy paper to the government, based on research studies on the causes of hepatitis and steps to arrest its proliferation.

He said the entire faculty, administrative officers, employees and students would pass through the blood screening process in the first stage.

Since cases were mostly being reported from rural areas where awareness as well basic healthcare facilities were either scant or non-existent, the screening process would be stretched out to such areas in the second stage, he added.

Dr Farooq said every student had been given community service assignment to create awareness among at least 200 people in their native areas regarding causes and prevention of hepatitis B and C within the next three months.

“The purpose is to motivate students to pay back to their community and the area concerned. We are hopeful that this assignment will directly benefit around 1.2 million people,” he said.

Dr Rauf added that the AJK health department had also been taken on board as it had committed to the UAJK to provide free of cost treatment to the positive cases.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2016