Pakistan ranks fifth in the world for total viral hepatitis burden, according to the Pakistan Medical Association as World Hepatitis Day is observed on Tuesday.
PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro said Pakistan has about 10 million chronic Hepatitis C cases and 3.8 million Hepatitis B cases, bringing the total number of affected people to 13.8 million.
He said the national prevalence of Hepatitis C ranges from 4.8 percent to 7.5 percent, while Hepatitis B affects 1.1 percent to 1.7 percent of the population.
He added that hepatitis-related complications, including liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, claim more than 37,000 lives each year.
Dr Shoro said unsafe medical injections, unscreened blood transfusions, reused syringes, unsterilised equipment and poor infection control remain major causes of new infections in Pakistan.
President Asif Zardari said hepatitis remains a major public health challenge but stressed that early detection, timely treatment and strong prevention measures can help eliminate it.
He said the government must enforce strict regulation of unsafe medical practices and launch large-scale awareness campaigns to protect citizens.
Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said hepatitis can become life-threatening if left undiagnosed or untreated. He called for stronger prevention, early diagnosis and better access to quality treatment.
Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah also said public awareness and equitable treatment are essential to curb the disease.
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