Pakistan highest number of Hepatitis C cases, with 500,000 infections.
Dr. Homie Razavi Centre for Disease Analysis (CDA) in the United States, around 10 million individuals in Pakistan are infected with the Hepatitis C virus, making it the largest number in the world.
“Pakistan now has the world’s biggest number of Hepatitis C sufferers, surpassing China, India, and Nigeria.”We have been working with several provincial health authorities in Pakistan for the last two years and after extensive study and analysis,
we discovered that around half a million new Hepatitis C infections will emerge in Pakistan between 2015 and 2021. “The overall number of Hepatitis-C patients in Pakistan is projected to be 10 million, the most in the world,” Dr. Razavi said during a news conference in Karachi.
“Pakistan now has the world’s biggest number of Hepatitis C sufferers surpassing China, India, and Nigeria.” We have been working with several provincial health authorities in Pakistan for the last two years, and after extensive study and analysis, we discovered that around half a million new Hepatitis-C infections will emerge in Pakistan between 2015 and 2021.
Dr. Razavi said during a news conference in Karachi. United State and Pakistani specialists, about 15 million individuals in Pakistan have Hepatitis B and C, making it the leading cause of death among infectious illnesses.
Both viral illnesses, they continued, are blood-borne viruses disseminated by improper injections and unhygienic procedures at hospitals, dentistry clinics, and tattoo parlors, among other things. Experts also advocated for Hepatitis E immunization of women of reproductive age. Flooding has worsened the spread of Hepatitis E, exposing over 75,000 pregnant women to the danger of this potentially deadly illness.
Hepatitis C is a Curable Condition
Dr. Razavi was accompanied by a renowned gastroenterologist and Hepatologist Dr. Zaigham Abbas, Gilead Sciences Senior Director of Medical Affairs Aysan Murtazoglu, Sindh Hepatitis Control Program Dr. Zulfiqar Dharego, and Ferozsons Laboratories Limited CEO Usman Khalid Waheed.
“The good news is that Hepatitis C is a curable condition, and treatment for Hepatitis C is less expensive in Pakistan than elsewhere in the globe.” Anyone afflicted with Hepatitis C may be cured in three months by taking medications on a daily basis.
Dr. Razavi stated that Pakistan may learn from Egypt, which was number four in the burden of Hepatitis-C infections in 2015 but is now number 17, and that it began a nationwide program to check its whole population and treat all those who were afflicted with the condition.
According to Dr. Amna Subhan
Dr. Amna Subhan of Aga Khan University Hospital, “overuse of injections through used syringes, unsafe blood transfusions, razor sharing, and inadequate infection prevention and control are some of the routes of Hepatitis B and C transmission.” Mother-to-child transmission and a lack of Hepatitis B immunization are other factors in its expansion.”
Professor Saeed Hamid, an AKUH-affiliated gastroenterologist, stated that the Pakistan Society for the Study of Liver Diseases (PSSLD) has proposed a $250-350 million dollar initiative to remove the seven million Hepatitis C infections, which has been submitted to the government for approval.
Meanwhile, infections are increasing by the minute, with one precious life lost to the dreadful illness every 20 minutes. Waheed Says, The number of new instances of Hepatitis-C is increasing year after year, and it may be reduced by avoiding unnecessary expenses.
