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The burden of Hepatitis disease in Pakistan needs urgent attention. – Reuters Photo
KARACHI: An estimated 10 per cent of Pakistan’s population of 160 million is suffering from Hepatitis, which shows high prevalence of the disease in the country. Five per cent of the troubled individuals have hepatitis C.
Pakistani scientists, working in the area of health biotechnology are conducting research to find out cheap medicine for treatment of this fatal disease, Dr. Mazhar Iqbal of National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetics Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad said while delivering a lecture at Latif Ebrahim Jamal (LEJ) National Science Information Center, Karachi University (KU).
Dr Mazhar Iqbal is currently working as Principal Scientist and Group Leader: Drug Discovery and Structural Biology at Health Biotechnology Division of NIBGE.
Pakistan Biotechnology Information Centre organized the lecture to promote the new discipline among the scientists.
Director International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), KU, Prof Dr. M Iqbal Choudhary, Prof Dr. Khalid M Khan and other scientists were also present.
Dr. Mazhar said that the prevalence of the disease in the country was really a point of concern for our health policy makers. It is pertinent to mention here that the spread of hepatitis in the country is just because of the re-use of disposable syringes, transfusion of unscreened blood and use of contaminated equipment in (medical) facilities.
The scientist said that in collaboration with western scientists NIBGE was trying to form a cheap medicine especially for the treatment of Hepatitis C. He said that several natural compounds and chemicals have found that have anti-cancer and anti-viral agents.
It is also pertinent to mention here that Pakistani nation have been benefited from biotechnology, in terms of jobs generation, increased national wealth, and better healthcare for their masses. — PPI
I 'm pleased at least someone mentioned that one tenth of nation suffering from Hepatitis mainly 'A' caused by contaminated water supplies. Don't you think it's time we should start providing clean drinking water 'which doesn't seem to be a priority' or at least spread awareness among people to boil water thoroughly before drinking.
Hepatitis is a very common disease these days. Besides blood contamination poor sanitation conditions is also a huge cause of spread of hepatitis A. Spread of hepatitis is more in northern areas of Pakistan, rural areas and overpopulated places. The flood stucked areas of Sindh and Punjab were people are deprived of clean drinking water are at high risk of developing hepatitis A, cholera etc.
Drug abusers who inject narcotic substances off and on reusing the syringes by themselves or by some other person is another major issue linked with its spread.
Most of the hospitals and clinics trash out the syringes without destroying them for further use. These used syringes are washed and repacked and the cycle continues.
People must be educated for the risks they are causing to their healths so that the spread of the viral infection is minimized.
Hepatitis indeed is a huge problem and I suspect the article refers to Hepatitis B and C. There are a couple of issues that require attention first that vaccines for Hepatitis B is available and can be used effectively.
However, the more important issue appears to be a denial of the mode of transmission in Pakistan, which is not blood borne. Unless the vertical transmission from mother to child and sexual transmission are recognised as modes of transmission requiring transmission it is likely that along with Hepatitis we shall see a huge proportion if our population infected with HIV and other STD ultimately to great cost to the country.
I totally agree with you, Mr Iqbal. I am not sure why issue like these which are much more threatening to the nation's well being, not picked up and disseminated by the media, particularly the private channels who would kill to get to any scene of crime or violence but would not give any importance to dissemination and awareness for issues in education and healthcare!!