Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have called for raising public awareness and promoting collective action to combat Hepatitis.
In their separate messages on World Hepatitis Day on Monday, they emphasized to address hepatitis through an integrated and coordinated national response.
President Asif Ali Zardari said viral hepatitis continues to pose a public health challenge with millions silently suffering due to late diagnosis, lack of awareness and inadequate healthcare services.
He said we must implement comprehensive strategies that combine mass awareness campaigns, effective vaccination drives, timely screening and access to treatment.
In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed government’s commitment of ending the hepatitis and protecting the health of public.
He said the government is making concerted efforts to curb this epidemic and has launched the Prime Minister’s National Programme for the elimination of Hepatitis C, which aims to screen over 165 million people by 2030 and provide free treatment to all positive cases.
