1500 more Hepatitis C patients to get free treatment in Pakistan: Daily.pk

Under the National Programme of Prevention and Control of Hepatitis (NPPCH), free treatment for 1,500 additional poor Hepatitis C patients has been planned throughout the country in the next couple of months.
Currently, around 15,000 patients are receiving free treatment in 70 hospitals throughout the country including FATA, FANA and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Private hospitals charge Rs 50,000-60,000 for a six-month hepatitis course.

According to a report of the Pakistan Research Council on Water Resources (PRCWR), 10 million Pakistanis are suffering from Hepatitis C and five million from Hepatitis B.

Most cases are reported in poor areas like interior Sindh, southern Punjab, southern NWFP and Sialkot.

Hepatitis is a liver disease caused by infections, alcohol, certain medications and toxins. Its virus is contagious and can be transmitted through blood and blood products.

Interferon injections combined with antiviral drug – Ribavirin – is considered the most effective treatment to hepatitis.

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