Efforts required to control spread of Hepatitis.

RAWALPINDI -- World Hepatitis Day was observed across the globe, including Pakistan, on Thursday with an emphasis on involving the community by raising awareness, endorsing partnerships and mobilising resources.

District Health Authority (DHA) organised a seminar at Holy Family Hospital in this connection.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Executive Officer DHA, Dr Lubna Ishaque, said about 15 million people were suffering from Hepatitis B and C in Pakistan, and around 150,000 new cases were added annually.

She said the wide-ranging effort was urgently needed to prevent millions of new infections and increasing deaths, while hepatitis C in the country was around 5 per cent and hepatitis B was nearly 2.5 per cent.

The CEO informed that Hepatitis A and E were spread by oral facial route while B and C were spread by blood.

The usual transmission mode of hepatitis B and C in Pakistan was a high rate of getting treatment by injections and intravenous therapy.

She added that the instruments were not properly sterilised, and the reuse of syringes by quakes was also a significant issue.

Dr Lubna said that although there were vaccines for Hepatitis B, a new treatment for chronic Hepatitis C was...