15 million suffering from hepatitis B, C: Experts

Hyderabad: “Liver diseases are on the rise in the country and 15 million people are suffering from hepatitis B and C”, said Dr Sadik Memon, Associate Professor, Isra University Hospital (IUH), Hyderabad. He was addressing the second session of the National CME (Continuing Medical Education) Series which is being held under the aegis of Clinical Excellence and Leadership Program of Macter International.

Dr Memon stated that cirrhosis of the liver is a potentially life threatening condition that occurs when scarring damages the liver. The scarring, also called fibrosis, replaces healthy tissue and prevents the liver from functioning properly, he explained.
He informed that hepatitis C, with a prevalence of 6 percent in Pakistan, is the leading cause of cirrhosis of liver, followed by hepatitis B, which has a prevalence of 3 percent. Cases of liver cirrhosis are also reported due to Wilson’s disease and alcohol use, he added.

Dr Asif Burney, Assitant Professor, IUH, informed that complications of liver cirrhosis are quite common and include unconsciousness, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites), and vomiting of blood (hematemesis). He informed that it is possible to avert cirrhosis of liver, if diseases responsible for this condition are diagnosed at an early stage, prompt referral is made, and effective treatment is provided to the patient.

Dr Akber Memon, Assistant Professor, IUH, speaking at the occasion stated that a rising trend had been noticed in the number of patients reporting with cirrhosis of liver as it was observed in about half of the patients who visited the hospital with liver ailments. As hepatitis B and C are the leading cause of cirrhosis of liver in the local population, he urged that concrete measures should be adopted for their prevention. He said that vaccination against hepatitis B could reduce the incidence of liver cirrhosis. Further discussing about the preventive measures, he stated that piercing of nose and ears and tattooing should be avoided, shaving blades should not be shared, screening for hepatitis B and C should be done before surgery, blood should be screened before transfusion, disposable syringes should be used for injections and stern measures should be adopted to ensure that they are not re-used.

Dr Kamran Ansari termed liver diseases as a major public health challenge, stating that they are the third most common amongst all the diseases in the country. He stressed the need to create awareness among the masses and educate and train doctors regarding liver diseases.