Dr Rasheed Jooma, Director General (DG) Health has underlined the need of launching awareness campaign at every level to eradicate hepatitis. This he said while addressing inaugural ceremony of second Annual congress of Pakistan Society for Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD) at a local hotel on Thursday.
He said that this deadly disease spread across the country and people are falling rapidly into this disease on each passing day. He said that there is dire need to launch an effective awareness campaign to apprise the masses about this deadly disease.
He said that prevalence rate of hepatitis is high in Punjab's Jhang and Rahimyar Khan districts, Sindh's Ghotki and Larkana districts, NWFP's Hangu, Upper and Lower Dir district and Balochistan's Jafarabad district.
He said that Prime Minister of Pakistan has directed all the Members of National Assembly (MNAs) to present the report about this deadly disease in their respective areas to make Pakistan as a hepatitis free country.
Meanwhile addressing a press conference before inaugural session, Dr Zaigham Abbas Consultant Gastroenterologist has said that about 15 million people are suffering from hepatitis B and C diseases in the country. The theme of this moot is to develop census in liver disease, he said.
Dr Abbas informed that the prevalence of liver disease particularly hepatitis B and C hepatocellular carcinoma and portal hypertension is rising in the country. Hepatitis C, has a prevalence of 6 percent while that of hepatitis B, is 3 percent among Pakistani population, he said.
Dr Saeed Hamid, Chairman Scientific Committee, informed that hepatitis B and C, alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases are the most common diseases in the country.
Discussing about the preventive measure, Dr Saeed urged that the shaving razors should not be shared, proper sanity conditions should be maintained blood should be screened for hepatitis B and C patients before transfusion and sterilised equipment should be used for surgical procedure. He termed vaccination as vital factor for prevention for hepatitis B.
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