18 million with Hepatitis in Pakistan

Karachi : In a seminar and hepatitis posters exhibition organized jointly  by Health Foundation and Pakistan Medical Association (PMA)   at PMA House Karachi here it was revealed that an estimated 18 million people in Pakistan suffer from Hepatitis. According to Untied Nation report there are 150 million infected hepatitis patients in the world and Pakistan is second due to high-prevalence ratio.

Sharing the statistics the speakers at the seminar said every 30 seconds one person dies from hepatitis and every 12^th person is suffering from this disease. If practical steps are not taken immediately this may infect the large-scale population of the country and stressed the need for proper efforts by the government on an emergency basis to prevent such a happening.  Hepatitis badly affected liver which might cause liver cancer, they added.

Speaking at the seminar Dr Kashif Raza informed that hepatitis B & C spread though surgical instruments, polluted syringes, blood transfusion and also from affected mothers to children. He said hepatitis B vaccination was available in the country which was administrated to every infant.

Secretary General PMA Karachi Dr Qazi Wasiq in his address said that there is no vaccination available for hepatitis C  and the age old phenomenon of Prevention is better than cure” holds true to prevent this disease. He said hepatitis C is a liver disease and both hepatitis B & C are deadly diseases and advised people to take adopt precautionary measure as the best form of prevention.