PESHAWAR, Nov 4: The World Health Organization has stressed the need for measures to check the spread of hepatitis because of re-use of syringes and transfusion of unscreened blood.

"Surveys carried out by the organization in Buner and Nowshera last year revealed that the main cause of rise in hepatitis cases in the districts was re-use of syringes by quacks," said WHO Emergency Medical Officer Dr Quaid Saeed.

He said 30 per cent of the hepatitis B and C patients in the districts had contracted the diseases at clinics located in the bazaars.

Most of the patients had the history of visiting quacks and having had injections there, he said.

He said quacks used a disposable syringe repeatedly without sterilization, which raised the chances of spreading infectious ailments.

He said patients should insist on use of sterilized syringes.

He said the non-implementation of the Safe Blood Transfusion Act 2000, especially in private blood banks was also a matter of concern.

He claimed that about five per cent of blood donors were found hepatitis B or C positive. He said there was an urgent need to regulate the working of the blood banks in this regard.

He said piercing of ears and noses of children and tattooing by unqualified people also led to spread of the disease.

Dr Saeed said the WHO would launch an awareness campaign about hepatitis.

He said the treatment of the disease was expensive while the preventive measures cost nothing.