Pakistan Launches Hepatitis C Elimination Program

Why this is here: Pakistan estimates that nearly 10 million of the 60 million hepatitis patients worldwide are within its borders.

In Islamabad, Pakistan, the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation launched the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme. The program aims to reach 1.6 million people in the initial six months, then expand to cover over 164 million people countrywide. Pakistan allocated roughly 67 billion rupees to address hepatitis C, a serious public health challenge impacting about 10 million people within the nation.

The program will provide free, three-to-six-month treatment courses and screenings. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal noted that nearly 80 percent of patients are unaware they have the disease, continuing its spread. Nadra will help with nationwide screening using national database integration to improve reach and transparency.

The WHO estimates this program could prevent 850,000 deaths and 1.1 million new infections by 2050. However, the program’s success relies on widespread public participation and addressing prevention methods like safe blood transfusions. The initiative continues to build a preventative healthcare system in Pakistan.