Director National Institute of liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Dr. Nadeem Syed Hassan said 15 million people in Pakistan are infected with hepatitis B&C, which is increasing rapidly.
Use of injections is four times more in Pakistan than in the rest of the world, just because of people of generally believe that it heals quickly while in Pakistan! 17 to 50% of syringes are recycled and used.
Which is the main reason for the increase in Hepatitis in Pakistan. He was speaking at webinar in Dow University of Health Science under the department of National Institute of liver and Gastrointestinal Disease.
While Medical Superintendent Prof. Zahid Azam, Assistant Prof. Tayyab Usmani, Assistant Prof. Sabihta Shabir, Assistant Prof. Abdullah Bin Khalid and Assistant Prof. Kelash also addressed to the webinar.
Further he said according to a survey which is conducted in 2007-8, in Pakistan! 2.5% people are infected with hepatitis B and 4.8% with hepatitis C while according to recent survey which is conducted in only Panjab, 17% of people are infected with Hepatitis C while 2.2% are infected with Hepatitis B.
The reason is includes unsafe blood transfusion, unsafe physical relationship, unhygienic dental instruments and other instruments and unnecessary use of injections. In Pakistan unnecessary use of injections cause 800 people in Pakistan infected with HIV, of which 82% were children. He said Hospital waste material should be disposed of properly.
Specially, the needle of the syringes should be cut off so that it cannot be reused. Medical superintendent of Dow Hospital Prof. Zahid Azam said that hepatitis is a silent killer because of initially, the symptoms do not appears and every Pakistani should get tested for hepatitis because with timely diagnosis, this deadly disease can be easily treated.
Addressing the webinar, Assist. Prof. Tayyab Usmani said that if a person has had hepatitis for more than six months, we call it chronic disease, it can be treated, as the symptoms do not appear in the beginning that’s why it is important to get tested.
Early ages, hepatitis can be dangerous, such a patient should be examined from time to time because the liver begins shrink in a period of 2 to 8 years and this causes stiffness in the liver and the liver stop working.
In this case, the liver needs to be transplanted. Further he said hepatitis B can be passed from a pregnant mother to a newborn baby while a breastfed baby will be safe if fully vaccinated.
He said shaking hand, hugging and eating together do not spread the disease. He said unfortunately, there are all types of hepatitis exist in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Assist, Prof. Sabihta Shabbir said the first cause of liver failure in the last few years is the fatty liver. About 40% of people with liver disease suffering from fatty liver. This cause severe damage to the liver and slowly stops working.
She said. 10 to 20% of people in Pakistan suffering from fatty liver. About 70% of obese people suffering from fatty liver while thirty percent of diabetic patient also suffer from fatty liver.
This disease usually has the same symptoms as nausea, loss of appetite, weakness in body, loss of weight, abdominal pain, nervousness, dizziness which also happens in other disease. Fatty liver could be confirmed by ultrasound, biopsy or fibrosis.
Further she said we need to improve our daily routine, daily exercise, use of fresh juices, fresh food and avoid junk food. It can significantly reduce the severity of the disease. She said in this disease the patient health is in the hand of patient more than the doctor by improving routine life.
Addressing the webinar, Dr. Abdullah bin Khalid said that usually when patient infected from hepatitis and its takes 10 to 15 years for the liver to begin to shrink and symptoms do not appear at first. But the contraction of the liver, there are symptoms of bleeding in the vomit, water in stomach and drowsiness. It need to be treated in timely manner.
In particularly, a patient with drowsiness has only six months to live, which is cured with immediate treatment while bleeding in the vomit cause 20 death out of 100.
All treatment of liver disease are well done in the hospital. At this occasion Assist. Prof. Kelash said transplant can save lives when the liver stops working in hepatitis.
In Pakistan! The donor is usually a close relative while the practice of donating outside Pakistan is common. The patient usually stay in the hospital for 12 days while the donor has stay in the hospital for a week.
The reason for the increase in liver transplant in Pakistan is the increase in the number of patients and doctor usually try to protect patient from surgery as surgery has its own risks.
