ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal stated that the government is determined to eradicate Hepatitis C from the country.
He said this while speaking as the chief guest at the launch of the Prime Minister’s Program to Eliminate Hepatitis C in Pakistan on World Hepatitis Day under the theme ‘Time to Act’.
Ashan Iqbal formally launched the program on behalf of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House on Monday.
Ahsan Iqbal said the Prime Minister’s program will help eliminate hepatitis C in the country. A special task force will be created to address challenges in health, education and other areas in cooperation with the provinces.
He said the first results of the first digital census conducted in Pakistan indicate that the country’s population growth rate has increased from 2.4 percent to 2.55 percent, placing Pakistan among the 30 fastest growing countries with a projected population of 500 million by 2050.
He said managing food, water, education and employment for such a large population was challenging and stressed the need to declare a national emergency to control population growth.
He said that in April 2022, after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government assumed office, it had convened 1,000 experts from various fields to suggest solutions to address the major issue of saving the country from bankruptcy. Ahsan emphasized that stable leadership and consistent policies are essential for success, citing the opinions of experts.
A total of 26 million children are out of school and must be enrolled to realize the dream of an educated nation.
The prime minister’s working group for the elimination of hepatitis Dr. Saeed Akhtar said that nearly 10 million Pakistanis are active hepatitis carriers.
He said that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved PC1 of 68.25 billion for the Prime Minister’s Program for the Elimination of Hepatitis C in Pakistan.
The federal share will be 34.78 billion, while the provinces will contribute 33.42 billion to the program over the next three years. The program would be implemented with the help of 40 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as private partnership is key to the success of any programme.
He said the program aims to screen the entire population and achieve hepatitis-free status by December 2029. A PM portal has been set up for individuals to self-register for hepatitis virus screening, he added.
He asked people to avoid unnecessary injections and only carry out drips, tattoos and dental and surgical procedures in authentic medical facilities with proper sterilization of instruments, asked barbers to use new blades and ensure proper examination in case of blood transfusion.
Coordinator of the Prime Minister Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath said that 60 million people worldwide suffer from hepatitis, including 10 million in Pakistan.
Dr. Mukhtar said the prime minister’s hepatitis elimination program is being launched in collaboration with the federal government and all four provinces. Everyone over the age of 12 will be screened and those diagnosed with hepatitis will be given free treatment. Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. In a video message, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for launching the Hepatitis Elimination Program and urged other countries to emulate Pakistan’s initiative.
