Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Mustafa Kamal, has declared Hepatitis C a national emergency, emphasizing the need for decisive action to eradicate the disease by 2030. Speaking on World Hepatitis Day, Kamal highlighted Pakistan’s high burden of Hepatitis C, with over 10 million individuals affected and 110,000 new infections annually, and stressed the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment to prevent severe health outcomes.

According to Press Information Department, the Minister outlined the Government of Pakistan’s commitment through the Prime Minister’s National Hepatitis C Elimination Programme, which aims to provide free screening, diagnostic testing, and treatment to over 164 million people. Implementation has begun in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, with plans to expand nationwide in collaboration with provincial governments. The programme, inspired by Egypt’s successful model, offers a complete three-month treatment course at no cost to diagnosed individuals, valued at PKR 34,000 per patient.

Kamal emphasized the broader vision for Pakistan’s health sector, which prioritizes disease prevention alongside treatment. He highlighted pressing health challenges, including maternal and child health, malnutrition, and antimicrobial resistance, and called for responsible antibiotic use. The Minister also announced forthcoming legislation to mandate screening for various infectious diseases before surgical procedures, aiming to enhance early diagnosis and patient safety.