KABUL (SW) – At least 30,000 people in Afghanistan are suffering from Hepatitis, officials said on Sunday in connection with the World Hepatitis Day.
Ferozuddin Feroz, Minister for Public Health, told a moot in this connection that 22,000 people are suffering from Hepatitis B and 8000 more are suffering from Hepatitis C. He warned if serious attention is not paid to this issue it would become a serious challenge for the country in the future.
According to the World Health Organisation officials, the viral hepatitis B and C affect 325 million people worldwide causing 1.4 million deaths a year. It is the second major killer infectious disease after tuberculosis, and 9 times more people are infected with hepatitis than HIV. Hepatitis is preventable, treatable, and in the case of hepatitis C, curable. However, over 80% of people living with hepatitis are lacking prevention, testing and treatment services.
During World Hepatitis Day 2019 campaign, WHO is urging all countries and partners to promote the theme “Invest in eliminating hepatitis”. WHO will release new estimates for additional investments needed to achieve globally agreed hepatitis elimination goals by 2030, in the context of the universal health coverage. The host country for World Hepatitis Day 2019 is Pakistan. The global events will be held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 27-28 July 2019.
ENDS