Majority of Hepatitis-C carriers not aware about disease: Experts

LAHORE: Emphasizing the need for raising awareness among the people about different diseases including Hepatitis-B and C, health professionals said on Wednesday that Pakistan is the third largest country affected by Hepatitis-C and majority of carriers are not aware about the disease.

While speaking at an awareness walk on Hepatitis at Lahore General Hospital they said the complications of hepatitis led to liver cancer, hence, by raising awareness about the disease, we can save our future generation.

Post Graduate Medical Institute Principal Prof. AL-Fareed Zafar led the walk which was participated by Prof. Ghiyas un Nabi Tayyab, Prof. Akif Dilshad, MS Dr. Khalid bin Aslam, Dr. Shafqat Rasool, Dr. Mehreen Zaman, Dr. Ghiyas ul Hasan, Dr. Farwa Javed, Dr. Sidra Rasheed, Dr. Asim Hameed, Dr. Ehsanullah, Shahnaz Dar and other health professionals.

Terming Hepatitis-B and C as extremely deadly viruses, they said that these cause countless diseases and deaths; at least one person can be affected by this virus in every family in Pakistan and certain measures on urgent basis are required to be taken to overcome the spread of virus.

Principal PGMI Prof. AL-Fareed Zafar stressed that apart from organizing special lectures in educational institutions, it is also important to add a chapter about Hepatitis-B and C in their syllabus. He said that where people spend a lot of money on their food, they should also go for blood screening at least once a year to determine that they are not suffering from any kind of viral infection. If any disease appeared in blood screening result, it can be controlled by providing timely treatment to the patients, he said.

Prof. Al-Fareed said that there is a wrong impression among the public that Hepatitis-B and C are spread through contaminated water and food items. In this regard, he clarified that the virus is not transmitted through water but through the blood and secretions of patients. In order to prevent the transmission of this virus, the instruments used in the operation theater, barber shops and dentists’ clinics should be sterilized, for which public awareness is very important because quacks, barbers sitting on the side of the road and cleaning teeth and ears are the main cause of rapid spread of this virus.

Prof. Al-Fareed expressed the hope that Prof. Akif Dilshad and his team under the guidance of Prof. Ghiyas un Nabi Tayyab will not only start a campaign for hepatitis patients on a war footing basis, but also educate young doctors regarding modern methods of prevention and treatment of this disease.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023