MUHAMMAD SALEEM

LAHORE: Speakers at a seminar organised by Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology as a part of World Hepatitis Day celebrations have called for launching a vigorous campaign for the eradication of hepatitis B & C on the pattern of anti-polio drive so that the target of elimination of hepatitis by 2030 could be achieved.

The public health experts and clinicians including Prof Ghias un Nabi Tayyab, Associate Prof Israr ul Haq Toor, Prof Anwar A Khan, Prof Shumail Zafar, Prof Nusrat Ullah Chaudhary, Director Punjab Hepatitis Control Programme Dr Zahida Serwar and others addressed the seminar and highlighted burden of disease.

The health experts said that by avoiding inoculation of unnecessary injections, always use of new disposable syringe, transfusion of screened blood and use of sterilized instruments of dentists and surgeons as well as new blades by the barbers can protect the people from the infection of blood borne diseases. They advised the healthy people to prevent themselves from hepatitis B by getting vaccinated.

Prof Ghias un Nabi Tayyab was of the view that 250,000 new patients of hepatitis included every year in the system.

Director Hepatitis Control Programme Dr Zahida Sarwar said that government had established a network of hepatitis clinics. “Free of cost diagnostics and treatment facilities including medicines are being provided in the hepatitis clinics setup in district and tehsil headquarter hospitals,” he added.

A large number of senior professors of different medical colleges and experts from PGMI LGH, nurses and paramedics attended the seminar.

Secretary Primary and Secondary Health Punjab Ali Bahadar Qazi, while talking to the media after leading an awareness walk at Liberty Chowk Gulberg, said the Punjab government was utilising all possible resources to achieve the target of elimination of hepatitis by 2030 as committed with World Health Organization.

Deputy Commissioner Lahore Anwar ul Haq, Director Punjab Hepatitis Control Programme Dr Zahida Serwar, Additional Secretary Technical Dr Shehnaz, CEO Health Lahore Saeed Ullah Khan and a large number of leady health workers, representatives of international development partners and a large number of paramedics participated in the walk.

The Secretary Health said that everyone should go through blood screening to detect the disease as early detection could make easy to overcome the disease by timely medication.