UNWAVERING commitment to healthcare on the part of the highest government offices in the land is necessary to curb the spread of disease. Regrettably, for decades, the lack of such dedication has allowed even preventable diseases to fester. Among the illnesses devoid of government ownership are a variety of hepatitis cases. Take, for example, the fact that Pakistan has the second highest global burden of hepatitis C. Yet, only about 21pc are reportedly diagnosed, while between 13pc and 15pc receive treatment. The rest, according to health experts, are silent carriers of the hepatitis C virus — something that is also reflected in the high incidence of liver cancer patients in the country. Given the situation, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that hepatitis B and C, transmitted through blood-to-blood contact, together kill between 30,000 and 35,000 people every year in the country, with experts signalling a steady increase in the number of hepatitis C infections.

Though people are reluctant to get themselves screened, given the lack of government interest and deficiencies in the healthcare system, the larger share of the blame for the high prevalence of hepatitis cases rests squarely on the authorities’ shoulders. Clearly, treatment options and plans need to be developed and made more accessible to the bulk of the population, with the active involvement of the basic or primary healthcare set-up. Around the world, hepatitis continues to be a big threat to public health, with more than a million deaths per year being caused by the hepatitis B and C infections alone. This is the reason why global health bodies, in connection with World Hepatitis Day that was observed yesterday, have also recommended bringing hepatitis care closer to the people, to encourage and increase the screening and treatment of silent infections that continue to be just as lethal, if not more, than the Covid-19 pandemic. It is time the authorities woke up from their slumber and worked towards plugging the many gaps in the country’s healthcare sector.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2022