13m people suffer from Hep B and C - Pakistan

[Guest guest]

Sunday, May 14, 2006

13m people suffer from Hep B and C

Staff Report KARACHI: About 13 million people in Pakistan are victim of hepatitis B and C, stated Dr Huma Qureshi of the Pakistan Medical Research Council, Islamabad, while delivering a lecture Saturday at the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).Hepatitis B has so far infected four to five million people and hepatitis C six to seven million of the total population of Pakistan. They both constitute about four or five percent of the total population.Last year a new program was launched for prevention and control of hepatitis-related diseases which would be completed in five years period at a cost of Rs 2.5 billion. Hepatitis B is a disease caused by a virus which attacks the liver and can cause lifelong infections, cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and ultimately death. The disease spreads by contact with an infected person's blood, semen or other body fluids, unsafe sex with an infected individual, sharing drug needles, living with someone having the disease and sharing toothbrush or razor with an infected person. The Hepatitis B vaccine, which has been available for all age groups in Pakistan since 1985, is the only universally accepted strategy for treatment of the lethal disease. For Hepatitis C, the growing tendency of unnecessary and illegal use of injections and reused injections by doctors are major causes of the spread of the virus.Barbers and unsafe blood transfusions are attributed as major causes of the spread of Hepatitis C. It was generally observed that in Karachi hospitals patients insist doctors inject them with blood to overcome their weakness and this unnecessary use of blood coupled with unsafe modes of transmission is spreading Hepatitis C. Pakistan is the only country across the globe where people approach barbers for shaves.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006%5C05%5C14%5Cstory_14-5-2006_pg12_6