HYDERABAD: Health experts have emphasised the need for controlling spread of hepatitis B and C by large-scale screening of people.

They added that the disease needed to be checked as it was spreading at an alarming rate.

They were speaking at a seminar on the ‘World Hepatitis Day’ at a local hotel here on Thursday, organised by the Chief Minister Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program, Sindh, to create awareness about hepatitis B and C.

Discussing current state of hepatitis in Sindh, programme in-charge Dr Zulfiqar Dharejo said Pakistan had the second highest prevalence rate of hepatitis in the world. He said: “This year’s WHO’s slogan for common people is ‘I cannot wait to get tested’ ”.

He added that it was the message for common people to get tested and if diagnosed with hepatitis, get treated as soon as possible. He said that one million people were patients of hepatitis B and two million of hepatitis C as per the Pakistan Medical Research Council.

He said that keeping in view that alarming situation, the Sindh government had launched a hepatitis control programme in 2009, leading to establishment of 63 treatment facilities and 19 vaccine centres free of cost. Under that programme, he said, the government had a target to eliminate the disease by 2030.

Prof Dr Bikha Ram said that prevention was the best way to save oneself from disease. It was high time to take that disease seriously and organise awareness programmes to sensitise people on the issue.

He said hepatitis among pregnant women must be treated timely to avoid transmission of the disease to the newborn. He said that although disease could be prevented and cured, but people were still unaware of its treatment. Prevention and vaccination was only protection against that disease, he added.

He said 10 million population was the victim of that disease, which was alarming. He said: “We should work on the WHO slogan of ‘finding million missing’ which means to find those who are victim of this disease.”

Hyderabad Divisional Commi­ssioner Nadeemur Rehman Memon said awareness programmes should be held on a regular basis instead of observing the World Hepatitis Day alone.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022