RAWALPINDI, Sept 21: The speakers at a seminar here on Thursday stressed the need to create awareness of the causes and preventive measures to prevent hepatitis from spreading in the country.

The seminar, ‘Hepatitis Assembly’, was attended by elected representatives and health experts.

The speakers said there was no need to create panic about hepatitis as the disease could be prevented and even cured effectively by concerted efforts.

City District Nazim Raja Javed Akhlas said solid cooperation between elected representatives, civic bodies, NGOs and health professionals could go a along way in reducing the incidence of the fatal disease in the country.

He said the district government had launched Rawalpindi Environment Improvement Project (REIP) costing billions of rupees to provide healthy environment, clean water and better sanitation facilities to the people and help prevent water-born diseases. Installation of filtration plants in the city was an effort in that direction.

The district nazim said a hospital waste plant would be established for proper disposal of hospital wastes.

He said the health department would conduct a comprehensive survey and present a report on the practice of quackery in the city. Stern action would be taken against those playing with the health of the people.

He also urged the union council nazims and councillors to cooperate with the medical experts for creating awareness about the disease.

On the occasion, Prof (Dr) Umar said there were 15 million people with hepatitis in the country, but there was no need of panic as the disease could be prevented by taking different measures. Prof (Dr) Bushra said the risk of the disease could be reduced drastically by taking simple measures such as supply of clean drinking water and the use of disposable syringes.