To check the spread of hepatitis through early diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease, the provincial health department is establishing 'Hepatitis Screening Camps' at as many as 20 district government hospitals of the province from May 18 to 25.
These camps are being set up in the government hospitals of different cities such as Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan, D G Khan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Jhelum, Okara, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Khanewal and Attock.
Sources in the provincial health department told Business Recorder, on Thursday that the purpose of screening camps is to check the spread of hepatitis, which is on rise at horrifying magnitude on account of use of polluted water, reusing of infected needles/syringes, dental and other invasive health care services. Initially, we have targeted those areas where the burden of the disease of hepatitis is significantly high, the sources pointed out.
According to health professionals, hepatitis is a major public health problem all over the world and over one million chronically infected persons die each year due to hepatitis-B infection and its complications while hepatitis-C virus infects 3-4 million persons each year.
They stressed on the use of polluted water is also causing spread of renal, abdominal, TB, diarrhoea, typhoid, allergy and other diseases. It may be mentioned that polluted water is also the root cause of diarrhoea, which takes the lives of 2.2 million children yearly and leaves millions more underweight, mentally and physically stunted and immunosuppresse.
They further stated that there is no vaccine to immunise against Hepatitis C.
The real problem is that vast majority of people are unaware of their being inflicted with the disease, they said. They added that people must realise the fact that besides necessary prevention early diagnosis and treatment can effectively help recovery of majority of Hepatitis B and C patients.
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