KARACHI, Dec 1: Viral Hepatitis-B and -C, the two major contributors towards liver diseases in the country, are fast being compounded by an emerging disease known as non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis.

This was observed at the inaugural session of the first annual meeting of the Pakistan Society for Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD) held on Friday evening. The session was addressed by Dr S. Wasim Jafery, Dr Saeed Hamid, Dr Zaigham Abbas and Dr Mohammad Salih.

Addressing the meeting, the health experts said non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis (Nash) was common among women who were generally obese and diabetic, as extra deposition of fat inside the liver resulted in chronic liver disease which might then lead to cirrhosis.

PSSLD President Dr Wasim Jafery regretted that a country with a population of over 160 million people, with around 10 million to 12 million of those chronically infected with Hepatitis-B, -C or other major liver conditions, was without a liver transplantation programme. There did not exist any in private or public sector healthcare facilities, he said, stressing the need to have one at least in each of the provincial capitals.“These facilities could become referral hospitals for the patients in their respective provinces,” he added.

He said research in the field of liver diseases was the topmost objective of the society, followed by continuous medical education and public awareness programmes so that the masses could be made aware of the deteriorating health situation, particularly liver diseases.

Referring to the problems faced by local physicians, Dr Jafery said the poor population was either left undiagnosed or compelled to go to private institutions which were unaffordable for many due the non-availability of diagnostic facilities in public sector hospitals.

He mentioned that such prospects were being actively looked into and a taskforce had been constituted to develop such a programme at a university hospital in near future.

Dr Huma Quraishi, head of the Pakistan Medical and Research Council, appreciated the work undertaken by the Society for Study of Liver Diseases to help physicians as well as the masses in identifying liver diseases and managing them.

She said the council was playing a pivotal role in developing data for the epidemic proportions of hepatitis in the country.

The government was committed to helping all the patients suffering from hepatitis by establishing diagnostic and therapeutic facilities in Pakistan, she added.

Dr Zaigham Abbas urged physicians to come forward with research in the field of hepatitis so that enough data could be made available to limit the spread of such diseases.

The session was attended by gastroenterologists, hepatologists and haematologists.—APP