Islamabad:
President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have called for coordinated efforts to include the hepatite epidemic and urged all stakeholders to join forces with a unified reaction to this growing threat to public health.
In their separate messages about ‘The Hepatitis Day of the World’ were observed on Monday, they said Pakistan took up the international community to confirm the obligation to eliminate hepatitis and protect people’s health.
‘The Hepatitis of the World’ is observed to raise awareness of the dangers of illness and to promote collective action to prevent and control it. They noted that Pakistani health professionals, researchers and front -line workers worked tirelessly and they need society’s support.
“We need to implement extensive strategies that combine mass awareness campaigns, effective vaccination drives, timely screening and access to treatment. It is imperative to expand these services to all social segments, especially in underrated and rural areas,” Zardari said in his message.
In his announcement, Shehbaz mentioned the launch of the Prime Minister’s national program for eliminating hepatitis C, which aimed to screen over 165 million people by 2030 and provide free treatment for all positive cases.
“This is a national movement that is a testimony to our collective obligation to save lives and secure the future. To make this vision a reality, we call for different segments of society to contribute to the efforts to end this scourge,” he said.
He said it is important to raise awareness of hepatitis to break the stigma around the disease.
