Sindh recorded 30,344 Hepatitis cases in 2018

According to the yearly data released by Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program (HPCP) Sindh, a total number of 30,344 hepatitis B, C & D cases were detected throughout the province of Sindh, in year 2018, out of which 22,318 cases were of hepatitis C, 7,144 hepatitis B and 882 hepatitis D, respectively.

Treatment of 19,657 hepatitis B, C & D was said to be underway at Treatment Centres, present across the province.

The Chief Minister’s initiative, Hepatitis Prevention and Control Program Sindh, have registered a total number of 251,685 Hepatitis cases from within the province, since the beginning of this program in year 2009.

As per the statistical reports, out of 300,486 hepatitis B, C & D patients, 244,465 have successfully completed their treatment.

Currently, there are 61 Treatment Centres, present at teaching, districts and tehsil hospital levels, where screening, vaccinations, diagnostic and treatment facilities are readily available for citizens. 17 screening and vaccination centres for Hepatitis B and 04 molecular labs are established in Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Sukkur, where PCR tests are performed free of cost.

04 cold chain storage  facilities, to store vaccines and pegylated interferon and 03 warehouses for storage of logistics and medicines are also set up.

During 2018, special camps were also organized across the province of Sindh, out of which 127 community based vaccination camps were held in villages, slums, schools and offices; where around 32,075 people were screened, 45,742 received vaccinations, with 1,856 hepatitis C and 1404 hepatitis B positive cases.

Around 407,409 people including general population, high risk population, school going children, jail inmates and newborns were vaccinated against hepatitis B under preventive acute infections.

As per an estimate, there are 3 million hepatitis carriers in Sindh, alone, out of which 2.5% were of hepatitis B and 4.9% hepatitis C.