ISLAMABAD, Aug 29: A bill is being introduced in the parliament to ensure use of disposable syringes and eradication of glass syringes. This was stated by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday at a function held at the National Institute of Health (NIH) to launch the Rs2.59 billion national programme to prevent hepatitis.

Mr Aziz said the government was committed to providing quality health care to the people at their doorsteps.

He said under the programme, the government would take both preventive and curative measures to save people from the deadly disease.

Highlighting the causes of hepatitis, the prime minister said water-related diseases were a growing human tragedy killing more than three million people each year in the world. Majority of all infant mortality worldwide was linked to water-related infections, he added.

He said water-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, meningitis, hepatitis A and E could be controlled through better hygiene practices and availability of water.

He said the government’s strategy aimed at responding to the challenges both from curative as well as preventive sides to control hepatitis and improve surveillance capabilities.

On the preventive side, he said, the government had launched clean drinking water programme last month, whereas on the curative side, it had planned the national programme for prevention and control of hepatitis.

The prime minister said the programme aimed at providing safe blood, proper disposal of hospital waste and vaccination of high risk people. He said initially 5,000 people would be given free treatment and this number would be increased gradually.

He said the government had declared war on Hepatitis and other diseases. He said realizing the urgency of the problem, the government had provided such a huge funding without waiting for the donors but would welcome assistance from other sources.

He said the government’s health programme was ‘Health for All’ as every Pakistani has the right to claim this facility.

He said the government was focusing on weaker sections of the society specially in the rural areas. He said the government increased the health budget by 72 per cent this year as compared to last year.

It will expand the programme of immunization and there is another programme called roll-back malaria, prevention of blindness, maternal and child health programmes.

He said, the number of lady health workers had been increased from 70,000 to 0.1 million.

Health Minister Nasir Khan said the programme was a concrete national effort to stem the spread of a deadly disease that continued to risk life and health of millions of Pakistanis.

He said this was the first government which has taken a far sighted decision to save the people from the deadly disease.

Later,the prime minister inaugurated a Hepatitis B special vaccination camp for high risk groups at the NIH.—Agencies