Today, 12 million Pakistanis have hepatitis B or C, and about 150,000 new infections are acquired each year.1
Viral hepatitis is a major healthcare burden for Pakistan. The majority of people become infected through unsafe healthcare practices, often without being aware of it. If left untreated, chronic hepatitis carriers are at risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer, which contribute to 96% the mortality rate associated with hepatitis B and C infections.2
To curb the disease burden, the Pakistani government announced the Prime Minister's hepatitis elimination program with an ambitious goal to screen 138 million people by 2030. Accomplishing this is momentous change will require a concerted effort by the national government, local leadership, NGOs and healthcare companies.