KARACHI:Eminent gastroenterologist and president of Pak GI and Liver Disease Society (PGLDS) Dr Sajjad Jamil on Saturday said in Pakistan Hepatitis B and C infections are on the rise due to reuse of syringes, poor infection control practices, lack of awareness and education, unsafe transfusion of blood and use of unsterilized dental or surgical equipment.
He was speaking at an awareness session held at Karachi Press Club (KPC). He said as per an estimate 15 million people are infected with the deadly viral disease in Pakistan. He demanded for screening of entire population of Sindh and other provinces for the viral hepatitis.
“Pakistan is faced with one of the highest new annual infection rate of hepatitis C virus and is launching a new infection control and injection safety plan on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2019 to stop transmission.
“Unfortunately, majority of people infected with Hepatitis B and C is even not aware that they are infected and carrying the viral disease. It is important that every Pakistani is screened for Hepatitis B and C,” said Dr Sajjad Jamil.
He maintained that elimination of Hepatitis C will require screening of the entire general population, which is challenging but could be optimized through first targeting subpopulations with higher prevalence and improving their linkage to treatment.
Patron of the PGLDS Dr Shahid Ahmed said the message on this year’s World Hepatitis Day 2019 is very clear that every Pakistani needs to be screened for Hepatitis B and C so that those tested positive could be treated, saying treatment for viral hepatitis is now available and is very cost-effective.
“We daily see patients with liver cirrhosis which is the last stage of the liver disease due to viral hepatitis. It also leads to Hepatocellular Carcinoma or cancer of the liver, which is a serious illness and in most of the cases it leads to death if liver transplant is not performed. The best solution to avoid these conditions is early screening and if the result is positive, start immediate treatment,” Dr Shahid Ahmed maintained.
Leading Hepatologist Dr Lubana Kamani was of the opinion that Pakistan may be turned into a “cirrhotic state” and Hepatitis C could become “second polio for Pakistan” if a mass awareness and screening of Pakistani population for the viral hepatitis is not started immediately.
“Fortunately, Hepatitis B and C are now completely curable diseases but unfortunately, Pakistani is the only country in the world where new cases of hepatitis are on the rise, alarmingly. Every pregnant woman in Pakistan should be screened for viral hepatitis to prevent its transmission to the baby,” she advised.
Registrar Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Dr Amanullah Abbassi and Head of the Gastroenterology Department, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) Dr Nazish Butt also called for screening of each and every person in Pakistan for Hepatitis B and C, saying the infection was spreading by the people who were unaware of their disease and this must be stopped at the earliest.
More than 100 journalists, their family members and employees of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) were screened for Hepatitis B and C at screening camp, organized by the PGLDS in collaboration with the Health Committee of Karachi Press Club (KPC).
Later, a walk was held in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC) which was attended by doctors, journalists and common people, who were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans and demands regarding Hepatitis B and C elimination from Pakistan.