Pakistan has the world’s highest number of hepatitis C ( HCV ) patients, with 10 million of the global 60 million cases, Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Coordinator to the Pakistan Prime Minister on Health, revealed on Saturday. Conveyors emphasized the urgent need for fast action in a speech at a conference hosted by the Health Foundation.
” This places us at the center of the international effort to eliminate this disease”, Bharath said, highlighting that without intervention, HCV cases in Pakistan may surge to over 11 million by 2035, resulting in more than 500, 000 liver cirrhosis situations, over 100, 000 kidney cancer circumstances, and 130, 000 related deaths. The financial impact was beat USD 285 million yearly.
To solve this problem, the federal government, in collaboration with municipal institutions, has launched the Prime Minister’s Program for the Elimination of HCV Infection, with a budget of PKR 67.77 billion allocated over three centuries. The initiative aims to screen, test, and treat 50 % of the eligible population, while pushing for 100 % protection to meet global elimination targets by 2030.
Key steps include establishing a National Technical Advisory Group for hepatitis control, creating strategic frameworks, ensuring access to affordable Direct-Acting Antivirals ( DAAs ), and scaling up nationwide vaccination, screening, and treatment efforts.
Conveyors emphasized the need for more global cooperation and technical assistance to improve monitoring, train healthcare workers, and grow healthcare systems. ” We seek international alliances to help us achieve our target”, he added.
Bharath called on all international organizations to support Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate HCV and lessen its devastating health and economic burdens. The conference also stressed the intensity of collective action.
