0.15 Mln Hepatitis Cases Reported Yearly

News Desk

New York: Nearly 15 million people in Pakistan are affected by Hepatitis B and C, with 150,000 new cases reported every year. These multifaceted challenges stemmed from unsafe blood transfusions, unhygienic dental treatments and reused syringes, stated Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan.

Addressing the United Nations Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis at a meeting, Masood Khan said that Pakistan remains steadfast in addressing the hepatitis’ challenge and achieving the World Health Organization’s (WHO) targets of its elimination by 2030.

Our priorities for eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat include updating the National Strategic Framework, improving surveillance, expanding hepatitis B birth dose vaccination, increasing HCV (hepatitis C virus) testing and treatment, and engaging community-based organizations, Khan added.

The UN Group of Friends to Eliminate Hepatitis held its second annual meeting during the 78th UN General Assembly Session at the Yale Club in New York on Sunday. They have called for stepped-up efforts to stamp out the highly contagious liver infection by 2030, in line with the goals of the WHO.

The groupis aimed at building political will to promote access to hepatitis prevention, care, and treatment and provide a platform for exchanging information, best practices, models of innovation, and lessons learned.

Masood Khan further said that the objectives of the Group of Friends aligned perfectly with the overarching theme of UNGA-78, focusing on rebuilding trust and rekindling global solidarity to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Referring to the Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination for the launch of the National Hepatitis Elimination Profile (N-HEP) Initiative in 2022, the Ambassador said that Pakistan plans to screen millions of individuals and treat millions affected by hepatitis by 2030.

Pakistan has formed partnerships with the corporate sector through the Corporate Coalition for Viral Hepatitis Elimination in Pakistan (CCHEP), consisting of 12 leading companies. These partnerships have bolstered our commitment to eradicating viral hepatitis by 2030, Masood added.

Ambassador Khan asserted that Pakistan is dedicated to strong partnerships on both a national and international level to ensure the success of its efforts to eradicate hepatitis. Agencies/APP