In the Pakistani population, Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection dynamics are havocs in terms of preventable deaths and health-related costs expected to be incurred. Moreover, 25 million people would need to be screened every year to diagnose 900000 hepatitis C virus infections and 700,000 patients would need treatment as well.
This was disclosed in a study carried out by the Pakistani medical experts based in America, Dr Fasiha Kanwal and Dr Naveed Janjua, published in renowned Journal of American Medical Association, as per studies the situation is alarming in Pakistan and the responses have to undertake a number of steps in this regard.
The medical experts said that as per details 1.44 million people are projected to die of HCV infection while 48 per cent of deaths would be among people younger than 50 years. They claimed that to achieve HCV elimination in Pakistan HCV testing would need to be scaled up to at least 25 million people per annum which would further help in this regard.
They disclosed that compared with the status quo, the elimination scenario would avert 323000 liver-related deaths and 13 million HCV associated disability cases from 2018 to 2030. Elimination scenario is expected to be associated with cost savings of $2.6 billion from 2018 to 2030 with the use of a point of care.
Referring to Pakistan, the medical experts said that as per WHO guidelines hepatitis to be eliminated and the targets have already been given but unfortunately this is one of the high HCV virus countries. Punjab Government has prepared guidelines with SDG’s 2030 to eliminate hepatitis. Hepatitis clinics have been established with the required human resource at all the autonomous teaching & medical institutes in Punjab.
In more than 125 DHQs & THQs hospitals across the Punjab Province back up of Liver Transplant Center in the form of Punjab Kidney and Liver Institute. Medicines and diagnostic kits have been made available at the sentinel sites and up till now, more than 12,000 patients have been treated at these centres. Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics have been provided.
Medical experts have said that spread of HIV is an eye-opener for all of us and apart from government everyone especially doctors community has to play an effective role in this regard to eliminate HIV and HCV from the society.
