JAMSHORO: Health experts and medical practitioners have called for raising mass awareness to prevent hepatitis viruses particularly B and C as the disease was gradually taking a heavy toll on human life in country and especially in Sindh.
Terming viruses as a silent killer, they emphasised need for collective efforts to effectively check the transmission of the disease.
Addressing at an awareness seminar held at University of Sindh Jamshoro, organised by office of Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences of varsity in collaboration with Sindh Skills Development Programme, Bilqees Razia Trust, Sindh Hepatitis Control Programme, Save Human Foundation and Petarian Association SU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said hepatitis B virus was a common problem for the society and its treatment was continuously changing and improving.
“The number of liver patients is increasing in our society because of lack of knowledge about it”, he said and added that being a social scientist he taught in many medical universities particularly in Aga Khan University and knew very well about these common diseases.
He said that he had undertaken a study in Dost Muhammad Khaskheli village in one of Sindh’s districts which revealed that women were more prone to hepatitis which he termed as alarming; for the well-being of a family depended largely on females. He said that jaundice, bleeding, weight loss and severe itching were the last stage of liver disease caused by the hepatitis viruses, which could be averted through opportune information and adequate intervention.
Dr Bekharam from Liaquat Medical University of Health Sciences Jamshoro said that they were partnering anti-hepatitis initiatives with SU to disseminate awareness among millions of people of Sindh through the varsity’s faculty and students.
“The SU has its intake from almost all parts of the province and Pakistan; hence, we understand its stakeholders are the right people to reach to proliferate awareness of hepatitis threat and precautionary measures that need to be adopted”, he said.
He added that many people could prevent the disease if they maintained something like healthy balanced diet, consumption of more fruits and vegetables, maintaining normal weight, regular workout, avoiding of alcohol, increase water intake to help flush toxins, harboring positive attitude and slashing on high doses of vitamins A, D, E, and K.
He said majority of people infected with hepatitis viruses suffered continually and even in many cases died because they were unaware, undiagnosed and untreated due to lack of awareness.
He said hepatitis viruses- A, B, C, D and E could cause acute and chronic infection and inflammation of the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer. So, he said there were no alternative to prevent the viruses excepting taking collective efforts.
Dr Hussain Bux Kolachi of Isra University Hyderabad said that universities could play significant role by involving thousands of faculty members, employees and a tens of thousands of students towards raising awareness, formulating legislative frameworks, introducing intervention strategies and undertaking sensitisation campaigns.
He said that creating a large-scale mass-awareness had become an urgent need for the prevention of hepatitis viruses particularly B and C as the disease is gradually taking a heavy toll on society and the nation as well.
He termed the infection of viruses as fire without flame and a silent killer and emphasised the need for joint endeavors to contain the proliferation of the ailment efficiently.
Another expert Aijaz Patoli from Bilqees Razia Trust observed that one particular event would not be sufficient to effectively combat the disease.
“Hepatitis is not something which may evaporate by just one theoretical or practical session. It is an ongoing evil; which could be controlled through persistent long-term battle”, he said and added that drastic climatic changes and the consequent ailments in the world had brought humanity under one involuntary obligation of converging on a single platform to fight back and defeat the devil.
“We need institutional, regional, national and global collaborations to overwhelm the evil of hepatitis”, he insisted.
Dr Wali Muhammad Laghari from Sindh Hepatitis Control Programme said that massive awareness coupled with strong legislation shall serve as the most effective weapons against hepatitis, as 5 to 10 percent of Pakistani population is affected with Hepatitis. As many as 4,000 people die of Hepatitis daily worldwide.
Dr Naeem Leghari from Bilqees Razia Trust oriented the audience with the objectives and achievements of their Trust and informed that they were focusing on Dadu as their operational hub where the number of hepatitis positive patients was higher compared to other districts of Sindh.
He said that their trust offered thousands of masses in district Dadu free facilities of screening, registration, vaccination and treatment.
Dr Soomar Khoso from Sindh Skills Development Programme stressed all parents to get their children aging one year and above vaccinated, or it would be tantamount to snatching from them their right to life.
He said that youth needed to adopt healthy and hygienic life style to buffer in time the prospective onslaught of hepatitis and other life-jeopardizing diseases.
Dean Faculty of Natural Sciences Prof Dr Akhtar Hussain Mughal, PVC Laar Campus Badin Prof Dr Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro, PVC SU Naushahroferoz Campus Muhammad Nawaz Narejo, PVC Mirpurkhas Campus Dr Ghulam Sarwar Gachal, President Sindh University Teachers Association Dr Azhar Ali Shah, President Sindh University Officers’ Association Ghulam Nabi Kaka, General Secretary Officers’ Association Engr. Sajjad Hussain Shah, Dr Fida Hussain Chandio and Dr Asghar Maka were also present on the occasion.
Published in Daily Times, September 29th 2017.
