ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has the highest hepatitis C burden in the world, with approximately 9.8 million hepatitis C cases. Dr. Saeed Akhtar said that in order to identify people infected with the virus, the country needs to screen the entire population (with priority for those over 12 years old, followed by children between 3 and 12 years old).
Speaking to The News, the Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoG) of PKLI said that on August 6, 2023, the then Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif officially launched “the National Hepatitis Elimination Program and it needs to be rolled out across the country.” .
He says hepatitis is often spread by barbers, using the same razor that an infected person has used before, reusing an infected person’s syringe (note that boiling a syringe does not eliminate the virus), and using infected surgical procedures that are not properly sterilized and dental instruments, surgical and dental instruments that receive infection. Unscreened blood transfusions, and close contact with infected people.
Regarding the testing and treatment process, Dr. Saeed said people infected with hepatitis C need to be tested for and treated promptly as the virus can silently cause liver damage, leading to complications and even liver cancer. These patients often require multiple hospitalizations to manage their health problems.
“The financial burden on public hospitals can be enormous and patients’ out-of-pocket costs can push them into poverty. In Pakistan, each liver transplant costs approximately Rs 4 million and 2,000-3,000 liver transplants are required annually. Despite the huge expenditure, But around 36,000 Pakistanis still die from HCV-related complications every year. Treating an infected patient through multiple hospital admissions and surgeries costs about $100,000, compared to $130 for screening and treatment, not to mention The pain, suffering and financial loss experienced by patients and their families.”
“Fortunately, Pakistan has developed highly cost-effective oral hepatitis C drugs that can cure the disease in just 12 weeks. Economic analysis shows that investing in testing and treating hepatitis C cases using locally produced drugs in Pakistan is very feasible . Such investments would not only save lives but also bring economic benefits in the long run. Research by Agarwaal et al. from India shows that within two years, money invested in hepatitis prevention and treatment will start to pay off, in addition to preventing On top of the tremendous suffering suffered by individuals and families,” said Dr. Saeed Akhtar.
To effectively deal with hepatitis C, Pakistan can learn from Egypt’s experience. Egypt, which once had the highest number of hepatitis C cases in the world, is close to achieving hepatitis C-free status in seven years through strong political commitment and concerted efforts. Pakistan’s leaders must show similar resolve and allocate the necessary resources. A comprehensive approach is critical and requires the media, public events, academics, artists, educational institutions and government agencies to work together to screen the population and provide treatment.
“Egypt and Pakistan have caused the largest burden of hepatitis C in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO) over the past decade. However, Egypt has eliminated hepatitis C by testing its entire population and treating more than 3.5 million cases of hepatitis C. Hepatitis C. Pakistan now has the highest hepatitis C burden in the world, with about 9.8 million hepatitis C cases. To identify people infected with the virus, we need to screen the entire population,” Dr. Saeed commented.
According to experts, nearly 58 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hepatitis C virus infection, and 90% of them are unaware of their condition. The virus takes lives silently, killing more than 3,000 people every day from hepatitis C. Recognizing the seriousness of the problem, the World Health Organization has set a target for all countries to eliminate hepatitis C from their territories by 2030. Pakistan is also a signatory to the agreement.
Regarding the performance of PKLI, Dr. Saeed claimed that the institution, which started providing clinical services in 2018, has successfully performed its first 1,000 transplants (436 liver transplants and 564 transplants) despite being a COVID-19 center for two years. It has also launched hepatitis prevention and treatment programs in 23 districts of Punjab, even before launching clinical services. In five years, PKLI, in partnership with the Punjab Hepatitis Control Project, screened 3.3 million people and treated 600,000 patients. Sindh is also making efforts. With the collective efforts of PKLI, government, WHO and other professionals, the Rs 3,500-crore budget for the National Hepatitis Elimination Five-Year Plan was approved.
Dr Saeed claimed that hepatitis C could be eliminated in Pakistan through his proposed model of “learning from international experience”. However, he added that success requires a unified national mission, driven by strong political will, commitment and support at all levels of implementation and public cooperation. Establishing successful elimination models can serve as the basis for early diagnosis, treatment and surveillance programs for other communicable and non-communicable diseases, thereby preventing epidemics. If Egypt can achieve this, then with Allah’s help and joint efforts, Pakistan can also achieve it.