ISLAMABAD: Minister for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar on Friday informed the House that 6.7 percent of the total population of the country is suffering from Hepatitis.
Replying to Calling Attention Notice in the National Assembly, the minister said that World Health Organization (WHO) has rated Pakistan as 2nd country in the world having high rates of chronic infections.
The minister said that the main reasons for the spread of hepatitis are frequent use of therapeutic injections, re-use of syringes, blood transfusions with unscreened blood, inappropriate sterilization practices and weak hospital waste management.
Saira Afzal said that Prime Minister Program for prevention and control of Hepatitis was started in 2005 and it was five years project and there is no fund after the completion of that project.
The minister said that after the devolution of the Ministry of Health to the provinces by the previous government all its vaccine, vehicle and other thing were also transferred to the concerned provinces.
She said all the vaccine of the project had been distributed among the provinces and Islamabad.
The minister said that the present government is committed to eradicate the menace of Hepatitis across the county.
Earlier, the Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended the proceedings of the Lower House of the Parliament for twenty minutes due to lack of quorum.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislator Hamid-ul-Haq pointed out the quorum. The proceedings were resumed after completion of the quorum.
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