The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 12.9 million people in Pakistan are living with hepatitis, with the disease claiming more than 48,000 lives each year.
According to the WHO, hepatitis-related deaths occur in Pakistan at an average rate of one every 11 minutes, placing the country among those most severely affected by hepatitis C worldwide.
The report estimates that approximately 9.1 million people in Pakistan are infected with hepatitis C, while another 3.8 million are living with hepatitis B.
The WHO said only three out of every 10 patients have access to treatment, leaving millions without the care they need.
Unsafe injections and unsafe blood transfusions remain the leading causes of hepatitis transmission in the country, the organisation added.
According to the report, more than 88,000 new hepatitis C cases were recorded in Pakistan during 2024.
The WHO has urged Pakistan to accelerate efforts to achieve the global target of eliminating hepatitis by 2030.
It added that work is continuing under the prime minister’s national programme aimed at eliminating hepatitis across the country.
Source: Dunya News
