(Web Desk) Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharat has said that the number of hepatitis C patients in Pakistan is the highest in the world.
Addressing the participants of the seminar organized by the Health Foundation regarding the eradication of hepatitis, he said that this situation has made us the center of global efforts to eradicate this disease.
He also emphasized the urgent need for collective action to combat hepatitis C, which is a major public health challenge facing Pakistan.
He added that if we do not act, Pakistan will face more than 10 million cases of hepatitis C by 2035, resulting in more than 500,000 cases of liver cirrhosis, one of liver cancer. There will be more than 100,000 cases and 130,000 deaths related to hepatitis C.
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He said that the economic impact of the disease will be more than 255 million dollars annually.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Bharat pointed out that by 2021, only 16 percent of hepatitis C patients in the country could have received treatment, with access to diagnosis and treatment being a major challenge.
According to a statement, the federal government has launched the Prime Minister’s Program for the Prevention of Hepatitis C (HCV) infection in cooperation with the provincial governments, under which 34.15 billion rupees will be allocated in the next 3 years.
Apart from this, the provincial governments will contribute Rs 33.61 billion, making the total funding for the project Rs 67.77 billion.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Bharat said that Pakistan has made significant progress towards eradication of hepatitis, including establishment of National Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for hepatitis control, preparation of national and provincial strategic framework, cheap This includes ensuring the availability of generic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and advocating for nationwide scaling-up of vaccination, screening, testing and treatment efforts.
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He emphasized that more support and technical assistance is needed to scale up the efforts.
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Bharat added that ‘we seek help in developing detailed plans for hepatitis eradication, strengthening surveillance and health care systems, training health care workers, expanding national software and logistics. .
We also call for international cooperation to help achieve our goals, the program aims to reach 50 percent of the eligible population for screening, testing and treatment within three years, he said.
He urged international partners to help Pakistan achieve 100 percent coverage to ensure that the country meets global targets to eliminate HCV before 2030.