THATTA, March 2 Thatta DCO Manzoor Sheikh has urged members of civil society, activists of religious and political parties and media lend a helping hand to the district health department in its efforts for eradication of hepatitis B and C from the district.

In a handout, the official expressed concern over increasing cases of the disease and said that a centre had been established at Thatta Civil Hospital to cater to hepatitis patients and advised people to contact on phone 0298-920179 for information about tests and vaccines at anytime.

The DCO said that after launch of Rs2.5 billion hepatitis eradication program in Sindh the patients would now get treatment free of cost. In Thatta, about 70,000 of 78,000 primary school students, 9,000 of 11,000 higher secondary as well as college students and 3,000 police personnel had so far been vaccinated against the disease, he said.

He said that the civil hospital centre had screened 11,000 patients and detected 641 cases of hepatitis-C and 350 of B under the rapid device method and referred them to LUMHS to confirm PCR under polymerize reactive kit.

He said that prevention of hepatitis was a challenge, which should be met by all members of society and this message should be carried to people in villages, small towns and urban slums.

Quoting a report of the World Health Organisation, he said that around 170 million people were affected with hepatitis worldwide, and added that the disease was spreading at an alarming rate in Pakistan, particularly in rural areas of Sindh, due to lack of awareness.