KARACHI, July 26: Experts at a programme warned against the extensive use of injections, which, they said, was a major reason behind the rising incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C among children, besides mother-to-child transmission.

They were speaking at a public awareness programme held at the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) on Tuesday.

The event was part of the week-long public awareness and outreach programme on hepatitis C launched a day earlier at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) by the Sindh Medical College (SMC) Alumni Association, Pakistan.

The NICH and the SMC are also part of the campaign with the theme, 'United we stand against hepatitis C', being organised to mark World Hepatitis Day on July 28.

Speaking about the incidence of hepatitis among children, NICH director Dr Jamal Raza said that the disease was on the rise among children mainly because of the extensive and unsafe use of injections in children.

Underlining the need for disease prevention, he said that the treatment of hepatitis, both in adults and children, was very costly and it was important that due attention was devoted to the factors responsible for the spread of the disease.“Hepatitis B and C may lead to chronic liver disease. Children infected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C are given the same medicines as prescribed to adults. However, their results are not good in children. Our options are also limited because of the fact that the facility of liver transplantation is not available in Pakistan,” he said.

Unlike the HIV infection, there was no medicine available that could reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission in case of hepatitis, he said.

“Apart from the high cost of treatment, there is also a problem of patients' regular monitoring and medicines possible adverse effects. Hence, we are left with only one option and that is to prevent hepatitis B and hepatitis C in adult population. The water-borne hepatitis A and E are usually self-limiting,” he said.

Explaining the risk factors for hepatitis B & C, Dr Furqan Ahmed, Diplomate American Board of Gastroenterology, said they included blood transfusion, non-sterlised injections, intra-nasal cocaine use, needle-stick injury, dialysis, sexual transmission, vertical transmission, organ transplant, unsterlised dental work, unhygienic practices of barbers and intravenous drug abuse.

It was a misconception, he said, that medicines were generally more effective when administered orally. Hepatitis was not spread by sharing utensils, glass or towel.

“There are about nine million hepatitis C and 4.4 million hepatitis B patients in Pakistan while 170 million people are hepatitis carriers worldwide,” he informed the audience.