Awareness about hepatitis increasing: officials

Across Pakistan about 81 percent of population in large cities, 29 percent in small cities and 18 percent in rural areas are aware of hepatitis.
Talking to Business Recorder on Monday health officials said that recently the Ministry of Health organised a workshop aimed at implementing the standardised prevention and control measures in line with national and international best practices to advocacy guidelines for barbers, beauty parlours, invasive groups, street dentists and quacks on prevention.
The programme intended to review and build consensus for field testing on the final draft "Guidelines and advocacy materials for barbers, beauty parlours, invasive groups, street & dentists and quakes," being developed by the National Programme for Prevention & Control of Hepatitis.
Health officials said that in the workshop the head of barber association was of the view that they charge too less from their clients who come for hair cut or shaving. Therefore it becomes difficult for them to use new blade for every client.
Officials said that the awareness about the disease is increasing among the masses with the passage of time. Talking to Business Recorder, Dr Rubina, Head of Safety Guideline Programme stressed the need to create awareness among barbers, people associated with beauty parlour business, street dentists and quacks to adopt preventive measures to eradicate hepatitis. Ninety-five percent of the barbers do not adopt precautionary measures to avoid the spread of the disease.
Dr Rubina said of that the ministry has prepared cheap alternative guidelines for barbers. According to these guidelines barbers are required to use bleach for cleaning instruments. Besides this they have been asked to keep at least six pairs of scissors in their shop.
She informed this scribe that recently they had conducted a survey to learn how many people are aware or have the knowledge about hepatitis, their altitude and knowledge about its prevention and cure. According to a survey about 81 percent people in large cities, 29 percent in small cities and 18 percent in rural areas are aware of the disease.
Whereas 95 percent barbers do not use safety measures. Sixty-three percent people in the large cities, 22 percent in small cities and only 1 percent in rural areas knew that it could be spread through blood and blood products. Besides this 70 percent people in big cities, 23 percent in small cities and 15 percent in rural areas were aware of the fact that used instruments (scissors, blades, extraction forceps) could transmit hepatitis.
"However it is good to see that as compared to past few years there has been a gradual increase in the awareness level regarding the disease. But still a lot needs to be done," she added.
Dr Rubina said that after the survey they concluded that the knowledge of urban and rural barbers and dentist were almost the same. She said that considering the rapid increase in the spread of the disease there is a dire need to take immediate measures at all levels to eradicate it. But shortage of funds and lack of data are the major hurdles.