The World Hepatitis Day brings the world together to raise awareness about the huge health hazard viral hepatitis and to influence real change in disease prevention and access to testing, treatment and care. The latest report of ‘Bridging Health Foundation, Pakistan’ shows that, “More than 15 million people are living with Hepatitis in Pakistan. This report further indicates that millions of these people are living with viral hepatitis unaware, and unless detected and treated, it can cause liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The World is celebrating Hepatitis Day with the theme is “Find the Missing Millions” campaign on World Hepatitis Day to create awareness and advocate the people in communities. It aims to progress the WHO goal of diagnosing 90% of people living with viral hepatitis by 2030, through education and awareness raising.
The date of 28 July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus
World Hepatitis Day offer us an opportunity to focus on actions such as: raising awareness of the different forms of hepatitis and how they are transmitted; strengthening prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases; increasing awareness on hepatitis B vaccine coverage and coordinating a global response to hepatitis.
Greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is a must, as is access to cheaper diagnostics and treatment.
Hashoo Foundation (HF) put efforts at national and regional level to educate people and to create awareness on human issues through various programs and events. This year HF planned to celebrate The World’s Hepatitis Day on July 31 July at regional level in HF’ regional Offices; Rawalpindi and Gilgit. On that occasion the trainees and trainers of Early Childhood Development (ECD) Diploma Program arranged a pictorial gallery presentation and showed a video clip to provide information on causes of Hepatitis causes and its prevention. The trainees also discussed causes such as unsafe injections and unhygienic instruments using in clinics and hospital that spread Hepatitis.
The video clip informed the participants on effective vaccines and treatments for prevention and elimination of epidemics.
The Director Programs Hashoo Foundation (HF) shared his views on the importance of the day.
Overall this activity presented an ideal opportunity to raise the awareness on viral hepatitis among the the participants.