People need to become proactive to overcome hepatitis: AKU prof
AKU hosts public health awareness session to mark World Hepatitis Day
AKU hosts public health awareness session to mark World Hepatitis Day. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Instead of relying on the government alone, the people of Pakistan should make themselves aware about hepatitis and ensure they are vaccinated, said Aga Khan University (AKU) professor of medicine Dr Saeed Hamid.
Pakistan is among the 200 countries that signed a resolution at the World Health Organisation assembly this year to eliminate hepatitis virus from the country by 2030, he pointed out.
He was speaking at a public health awareness session organised at the university's auditorium on Thursday on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day marked on July 28 every year across the world.
The hepatitis viral is an inflammation of the liver caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D and E. After China, Pakistan is the second largest country with hepatitis patients in the
world.
Hepatitis-C diagnosis: Irregularities found in supply of testing kits
Pakistan alone has more than 13 million hepatitis sufferers while out of which is million people are living with hepatitis C, said Dr Hamid, adding that 90% of the people are unaware that they are carriers of the virus.
"We all have to get the check-up done and seek treatment once we are diagnosed because it is a completely preventable and treatable disease," he said.
Dr Hamid shared that around 400 million people are affected by hepatitis B and C in the world but most people who live with the virus are from Asia, South East Asia and Africa.
Mound 1.4 million people die of hepatitis virus across the world. "A large number of people die because they cannot afford treatment. If government supports people who need financial assistance Pakistan can surely achieve the goal and hepatitis virus can be eliminated by 2030," he assured.
AKU professor of medicine Dr Hasnain Ali Shah spoke on the burden of viral hepatitis in Pakistan. "Hepatitis B and C are common in Pakistan," he said.
"In Sindh, around 5% of the people live with hepatitis B and C virus and most cases are reported in Than, Hyderabad, Ghotki, Dadu and Sanghar."
Prevention
We can protect ourselves from hepatitis viruses if we get vaccination, use safe water and food, take care of personal hygiene and use new needles and syringes, said AKU assistant professor of medicine Dr Rustam Khan.
He also advised people to use boiled water as it is safe and cheap. These viruses are transmitted through different routes, he explained. Hepatitis A and E through contaminated food and water, hepatitis B through blood and other bodily fluids and hepatitis C through blood, he added.
A consultant gastroenterologist at the Aga Khan Hospital, Dr Om Parkash, said that, "Once the hepatitis B virus enters the body it never goes away.
Organ transplant: Wife donates part of liver to save husband's life
The virus can only be controlled through medicine.
Main symptoms
On how hepatitis affects your health, AKU professor of medicine and section head of gastroenterology said that we need to make ourselves aware about the disease.
The main symptoms of hepatitis include, fever, nausea, vom-iting, joint paint, loss of appetite and fatigue, he added. Lastly, AKU instructor gastroenterologist Dr Muhammad Kamran spoke about the treatment options available for hepatitis.
"In the past three years, there has been great progress in medicines and there are now many medicines available to treat hepatitis," he said. "Since 2014, around 90% people are successfully treated with oral medicine."
Instead of relying on the government alone, the people of Pakistan should make themselves aware about hepatitis and ensure they are vaccinated, said Aga Khan University (AKU) professor of medicine Dr Saeed Hamid.
Pakistan is among the 200 countries that signed a resolution at the World Health Organisation assembly this year to eliminate hepatitis virus from the country by 2030, he pointed out.
He was speaking at a public health awareness session organised at the university's auditorium on Thursday on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day marked on July 28 every year across the world.
The hepatitis viral is an inflammation of the liver caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D and E. After China, Pakistan is the second largest country with hepatitis patients in the
world.
Hepatitis-C diagnosis: Irregularities found in supply of testing kits
Pakistan alone has more than 13 million hepatitis sufferers while out of which is million people are living with hepatitis C, said Dr Hamid, adding that 90% of the people are unaware that they are carriers of the virus.
"We all have to get the check-up done and seek treatment once we are diagnosed because it is a completely preventable and treatable disease," he said.
Dr Hamid shared that around 400 million people are affected by hepatitis B and C in the world but most people who live with the virus are from Asia, South East Asia and Africa.
Mound 1.4 million people die of hepatitis virus across the world. "A large number of people die because they cannot afford treatment. If government supports people who need financial assistance Pakistan can surely achieve the goal and hepatitis virus can be eliminated by 2030," he assured.
AKU professor of medicine Dr Hasnain Ali Shah spoke on the burden of viral hepatitis in Pakistan. "Hepatitis B and C are common in Pakistan," he said.
"In Sindh, around 5% of the people live with hepatitis B and C virus and most cases are reported in Than, Hyderabad, Ghotki, Dadu and Sanghar."
Prevention
We can protect ourselves from hepatitis viruses if we get vaccination, use safe water and food, take care of personal hygiene and use new needles and syringes, said AKU assistant professor of medicine Dr Rustam Khan.
He also advised people to use boiled water as it is safe and cheap. These viruses are transmitted through different routes, he explained. Hepatitis A and E through contaminated food and water, hepatitis B through blood and other bodily fluids and hepatitis C through blood, he added.
A consultant gastroenterologist at the Aga Khan Hospital, Dr Om Parkash, said that, "Once the hepatitis B virus enters the body it never goes away.
Organ transplant: Wife donates part of liver to save husband's life
The virus can only be controlled through medicine.
Main symptoms
On how hepatitis affects your health, AKU professor of medicine and section head of gastroenterology said that we need to make ourselves aware about the disease.
The main symptoms of hepatitis include, fever, nausea, vom-iting, joint paint, loss of appetite and fatigue, he added. Lastly, AKU instructor gastroenterologist Dr Muhammad Kamran spoke about the treatment options available for hepatitis.
"In the past three years, there has been great progress in medicines and there are now many medicines available to treat hepatitis," he said. "Since 2014, around 90% people are successfully treated with oral medicine."