HEPATITISa silent killer in Pakistan
Within Pakistan, almost 19 million people are suffering from Hepatitis B or C. Each year brings about 400,000 new cases. The disease is called a silent killer because many patients remain undiagnosed and untreated for many years before developing complications and dying.
As most people living with Hepatitis remain unaware, they could require repeated hospitalization, expensive medicines and liver transplants, causing major financial burdens on their families as well as health systems. In many cases, patients die within 1-3 years as they get the access to testing and treatment very late. According to WHO, 23,720 people died of Hepatitis-related causes in Pakistan in 2016. This figure is now estimated to be 35,000.