The President Dr. Arif Alvi has stated that today we commemorate World Hepatitis Day to raise awareness about the critical issue of hepatitis and related diseases in Pakistan. Hepatitis B and C viruses pose significant public health threats, causing immense morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, a staggering 80% of the hepatitis C disease burden lies in Egypt and Pakistan. While Egypt has made commendable progress in combating hepatitis C, regrettably, our country remains a major contributor to this burden in our region, he added.
In a message on “ World Hepatitis Day’ he said that hepatitis C is a dangerous, silent disease, often carrying no signs or symptoms until it has done significant damage to the liver. We must realize that individuals infected with this virus continue to carry it for years, putting them at high risk of advanced-stage liver disease and cancer.
To ensure the well-being of our nation, we need to prioritize the screening and early diagnosis of hepatitis C cases. Presently, Pakistan has the world’s largest population of patients living with Hepatitis C, a staggering 10 million cases. It is our duty to actively screen our entire population and promptly treat those found positive.
