Latest news with #NationalProgrammefortheEliminationofHepatitisC
Business Recorder
5 days ago
- Health
- Business Recorder
Pakistan, WHO vow to work hard to fight hepatitis C
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and World Health Organization (WHO), on Friday, vowing to take all possible steps to effectively deal with hepatitis C have committed to avert 850,000 deaths and one million new infections 2050 under the umbrella of the Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C. During a review meeting held here under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for National Health Services and Regulation Mustafa Kamal also attended by experts from the Health Ministry and the WHO. According to an estimate, the meeting was informed that, in addition to saving lives, the country will save an estimated Rs3.3 billion over five years by taking hepatitis C prevention measures. Speaking on the occasion, Mustafa Kamal said that this was not just an occasion but a commitment and a mission. He said, 'When it comes to the healthcare system of Pakistan, we have to do everything that we should have done yesterday, but it is never too late. We have to start as soon as possible'. Millions of people are already affected, and many more are getting affected every single day, the government along with other partners must act now to save the people, he maintained. 'The fight against hepatitis is not a job, but a passion, a commitment and a mission. We have to screen our population. The success story is there. The prime minister himself has spoken to the president of Egypt. I call upon all stakeholders to join hands in this mission to protect the health and future of the nation,' said the federal minister. As part of World Hepatitis Day commemorations, WHO and the Ministry of Health convened national and international experts for a discussion, highlighting that, in addition to saving lives, every dollar invested in hepatitis prevention yields an economic return of $11. According to data presented during the event, the implementation of the Prime Minister Programme could save 150,000 lives and avoid 210,000 infections by 2030, preventing 90,000 liver cancer cases and 71,000 cirrhosis cases. This prevention will also save over the next five years Rs1.3 billion or $4.6 million in treatment and over Rs2 billion or $7 million in hospitalisation costs, total savings of Rs3.3 billion. 'As we speak, every 30 seconds someone dies from hepatitis-related severe liver disease or liver cancer. This means that at least eight people will have died due to hepatitis before I finish this speech. I am convinced that, together, under the Government of Pakistan's leadership, we can break hepatitis down,' said WHO Representative in Pakistan Dr DapengLuo. 'Detecting and treating hepatitis is essential, but prevention is the key to end the disease. We will continue to partner with Pakistan to implement science-based approaches and adapt to the Pakistani context best practices and lessons learned from around the world'. With 10 million of the 50 million estimated cases worldwide, Pakistan has the heaviest burden of hepatitis C globally. It is estimated that, every year, 110,000 people are infected in the country – 62 per cent due to unsafe medical injections (including blood transfusions) and 38 per cent due to injection drug use. Under the theme 'Let's break it down', the WHO is urging policymakers and health authorities worldwide to simplify, scale up and integrate hepatitis services into national health systems – including vaccination, safe injection practices, harm reduction, and especially testing and treatment. The goal: ending hepatitis as a public health problem by 2030. The WHO reiterates its full support for Pakistan's efforts to fight the disease, including the Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Infection. The programme aims to test 50 per cent of the eligible population (82.5 million people aged 12 years and above) and treat five million people by 2027. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
28-07-2025
- Health
- Express Tribune
President, PM call for joint efforts to combat hepatitis
President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for concerted efforts to contain the hepatitis epidemic and urged all stakeholders to join hands in a unified response to this growing threat to public health. In their separate messages on 'World Hepatitis Day' being observed on Monday, they said that Pakistan joined the international community in reaffirming the commitment to eliminate hepatitis and protect the health of the people. 'World Hepatitis Day' is observed to raise awareness about the dangers of disease and to promote collective action to prevent and control it. They noted that Pakistani healthcare professionals, researchers, and frontline workers were working tirelessly, and they need the community support. "We must implement comprehensive strategies that combine mass awareness campaigns, effective vaccination drives, timely screening and access to treatment. It is imperative to extend these services to all segments of society, especially in underserved and rural areas," Zardari said in his message. In his message, Shehbaz mentioned the launch of the Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C, which aimed to screen over 165 million people by 2030 and provide free treatment to all positive cases. "This is a national movement that is a testament to our collective commitment to saving lives and securing the future. To make this vision a reality, we call on different segments of society to contribute to the efforts to end this scourge," he said. He said raising awareness about hepatitis is essential to break the stigma surrounding the disease.
Business Recorder
28-07-2025
- Health
- Business Recorder
Govt making efforts to contain hepatitis epidemic: PM
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said the government of Pakistan was making concerted efforts to contain the hepatitis epidemic and has launched the Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C, which aimed to screen over 165 million people by 2030 and provide free treatment to all positive cases. In a message on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, he said, 'This is a national movement that is a testament to our collective commitment to saving lives and securing the future. To make this vision a reality, we call on different segments of society to contribute to the efforts to end this scourge.' He said, 'On this World Hepatitis Day, we join the international community in reaffirming our commitment to eliminate hepatitis and protect the health of our people.' 'Pakistan is among the countries that are widely affected by the global hepatitis C epidemic. Viral hepatitis is one of the global public health challenges,' he remarked. He said, 'A large number of people infected with hepatitis B or C remain undiagnosed and untreated. While hepatitis poses a threat to all segments of society, certain segments of population remain at higher risk, including those receiving unsafe blood transfusions, patients undergoing unregulated medical procedures, newborns of infected mothers, healthcare workers, while the user of contaminated equipment or reused syringes, inadequate infection control, especially in rural and under-resourced areas, increase the risk.' The prime minister said, 'Raising awareness about hepatitis is essential not only to break the stigma surrounding the disease, but also to prevent new infections and ensure timely treatment for those affected.
