KARACHI:“We are living in a very alarming condition where “Hepatitis belt” is dangerously increasing in Pakistan which includes areas like Southern Punjab, Northern Sindh, Upper Sindh district, and adjunct areas of Balochistan. In Punjab, a large number of people are living with viral Hepatitis C type. It is the common type of hepatitis amongst the people of province Punjab”, says Prof Zaigham Abbas, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Ziauddin University and Hospital.
He was addressing the audience in an interactive public awareness session themed “Find the Missing Millions” to mark the World Hepatitis Day at Dr Ziauddin Hospital. Prof Zaigham Abbas focused on the hurdles in hepatitis cure and the importance of screening and early diagnosis in his informative lecture.
“In Pakistan 4.8% cases of hepatitis C have been exposed which means around 9,500,000 – 10,000,000 people are suffering from hepatitis C. Moreover 2.5% population is suffering from hepatitis B which means in Pakistan we have approximately 5 million people who have been diagnosed with hepatitis B”, Prof Abbas further stated.
According to Prof Abbas Pakistan is the country where unluckily all five hepatitis viruses are present. As it is quite obvious that hepatitis virus directly attack patients liver and if liver will not work properly, there are many chances of patient to suffer with disease like ascites (fluid in the abdomen), portal hypertension (increase blood pressure in liver sinusoids), cirrhosis (shrunken liver), liver cancer and kidney failure. To keep our selves save from viral hepatitis we should avoid using unsterilized equipment, used syringe and shaving razor, avoid touching blood drops of other hepatitis victims.
Dr Khurram Baqai, Gastroenterologist, Dr Ziauddin Hospital stressed the need of preventive measures to control this epidemic in Pakistan stated that, there is a need of case finding and proper management of patients. The majority of people endure this infection in health care settings without being aware of it. The disease is called a silent killer because many patients remain undiagnosed and untreated for many years before developing complications and dying.
“According to WHO an estimated 20 million deaths will occur globally between 2015 and 2030. We need to end this hepatitis related taboo. We can do this by training medical staff on early detection of the disease and by providing proper guidelines to the public”, says Capt (R) S Waqar Hussain, Registrar, Ziauddin University.
Earlier, an awareness walk was organized to sensitize the public about the disease.