Hepatitis-C Infection: Are we really committed to eliminate? Could it become the second Polio for Pakistan?

Pakistan’s hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden is one of the highest in the world. Around eight million people live with HCV in Pakistan according to a National Hepatitis Survey. Most HCV-infected people are unaware of their infection status culminating in delayed diagnosis and treatment, progressing to end stage liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), thereby raising the disease load for a developing country with limited resources. Blood transfusions and injections with reused syringes lead to increased HCV rates in Pakistan. According to a survey viral infections like hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV were not screened in more than half of the blood transfusions done in Pakistan. Hepatitis C elimination requires financial support from the local government and private organizations, commitment from civil societies across the world and a dedicated political will. Without defining effective planning and strategy it is our fear that it could become the second Polio for Pakistan.