71m people suffering from Hepatitis C in Pakistan

KARACHI: On July 28, the globe marked World Hepatitis Day, including Pakistan. It aimed to increase awareness of viral hepatitis, which affects 354 million individuals worldwide.

The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) organized an extensive program to commemorate this day. This year's topic was "Hepatitis Can't-Wait," and a strategy was proposed to eradicate hepatitis C by 2030.

Approximately 1.5 million individuals are newly infected with the hepatitis B virus each year, and almost 300 million people remain chronically infected with the virus. 

Approximately 58 million people have chronic hepatitis C infection, with approximately 1.5 million new cases each year. An estimated 3,2 million adolescents and children are infected with chronic hepatitis C globally.

In Pakistan, 71 million individuals suffer from hepatitis C. Each year, over 150,000 new cases are reported. The disease is referred to be a silent killer due to the fact that many individuals go undetected and untreated for years before experiencing symptoms. 

The majority of patients acquire this virus unknowingly in healthcare settings. In Pakistan, over 17,000 hepatitis C-related fatalities were reported in 2019, compared to over 12,000 Hepatitis B-related deaths. More than 9 per cent of hepatitis B patients and 5 per cent of hepatitis C cases are now fatal.

In light of the significance of an increase in the number of hepatitis A & E cases, the medical specialists instructed the visitors on the incubation time, which was 4-6 weeks for hepatitis A and 6-8 weeks for hepatitis E. They also stressed the need to drink boiling water after using the restroom and eating. Getting vaccinated against hepatitis A and E was stressful.

When discussing hepatitis B and C, regular screening after blood donation and using fresh syringes, razor blades, sterile dentistry and surgical instruments were emphasized. 

In the event of acute hepatitis B presenting with liver failure, patients must have an organ transplant. However, in the case of chronic hepatitis B, drugs are given for therapy; nonetheless, a liver transplant is necessary for certain instances. However, they emphasized the use of direct oral antiviral medicines as the preferred therapy for hepatitis C.

The need of hepatitis B vaccination was emphasized among high-risk populations with a strong family history, immunocompromised patients, diabetics, travellers, haemodialysis patients, and those with hazardous sexual behaviours. The objective is to immunize more than 90 per cent of babies against Hepatitis B in order to reduce the prevalence of this kind of hepatitis in the population.

The medical professionals noted that untreated people with hepatitis B and C might develop liver cancer if left untreated.

A large number of individuals attended the Institute to take advantage of the free testing and diagnostic services provided to raise awareness and educate the general public. 
Visitors were shown movies and given material regarding hepatitis prevention strategies.

Doctors and medical specialists from many departments at SIUT offered their services to educate the general public.