Pakistan’s Fight Against Hepatitis Starts With You
Pakistan is home to countless ethnicities, languages, traditions, and ways of life. It is equally home to striking economic contrasts. While some families can access advanced healthcare without hesitation, millions continue to struggle for something as basic as a medical consultation. Diseases do not recognise wealth, geography, or social standing, and hepatitis remains one of the country’s most persistent public health threats.
Every year, Hepatitis Day reminds us that behind every diagnosis is a person, a family, and a future worth protecting. Many people continue living with hepatitis for years without knowing they are infected until irreversible liver damage has already begun.
For more than three decades, Patients’ Aid Foundation has remained committed to one mission: serving humanity by strengthening healthcare at JPMC, Karachi.
Every donation helps sustain healthcare awareness, improve patient services, and give vulnerable families access to quality medical care.
Pakistan’s Fight Against Hepatitis The Current Landscape
Pakistan continues to face a significant hepatitis burden, particularly from Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, with millions of people living with chronic infections. The greatest concern is that many individuals remain unaware of their condition because hepatitis often progresses silently without noticeable symptoms in its early stages.
Although Hepatitis B and C are preventable and treatable, avoidable healthcare risks continue to contribute to new infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan accounts for nearly 44% of new global Hepatitis C infections linked to unsafe medical injections, with approximately 110,000 new infections occurring every year. Around 62% of these cases are connected to unsafe medical practices, including reused syringes, unsterilised equipment, intravenous drips, surgical and dental procedures, and unscreened blood transfusions, while 38% are associated with injection drug use.
Other factors increasing hepatitis transmission include unsafe body piercing, tattooing, shaving with non-sterilised razors, treatment from unlicensed practitioners, and limited coverage of the Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine. To reduce this burden, Pakistan’s national hepatitis elimination programme aims to screen 82.5 million people and provide treatment to five million patients by 2027, with WHO supporting prevention, vaccination, early diagnosis, and treatment initiatives.
Without timely detection and proper care, hepatitis can gradually damage the liver and lead to serious complications, including liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Delayed diagnosis also increases the possibility of transmission within communities. (Source: Dawn and WHO)
This growing health challenge highlights the importance of awareness, regular screening, and accessible healthcare services. Organisations like Patients’ Aid Foundation continue supporting healthcare facilities and patient services at JPMC, Karachi, helping deserving patients receive medical care regardless of their financial circumstances.
Your Zakat, Sadqah, and Khairaat can help sustain this mission by supporting healthcare initiatives that give patients the care and hope they deserve.
Understanding Hepatitis. Prevention and Early Screening
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, one of the body’s most essential organs. The liver removes harmful toxins, processes nutrients, stores energy, and supports digestion. When hepatitis affects the liver, these critical functions become impaired.
One of the greatest dangers of hepatitis is that many people experience no symptoms during the early stages. They continue living normal lives while the virus quietly damages their liver.
Early diagnosis allows treatment to begin before permanent complications develop, making regular screening extremely important for people who may be at risk.
Types of Hepatitis
Not every type of hepatitis spreads the same way or affects the body equally. Understanding the differences helps reduce infection and encourages early medical care.
| Type | How It Spreads | Can It Be Prevented? |
| Hepatitis A | Contaminated food and water | Yes, through vaccination and good hygiene |
| Hepatitis B | Blood and body fluids | Very contagious, but, yes, vaccination is highly effective |
| Hepatitis C | Infected blood | No vaccine, but early diagnosis and treatment are available |
| Hepatitis D | Only occurs with Hepatitis B infection | Prevented by Hepatitis B vaccination |
| Hepatitis E | Contaminated drinking water | Improved sanitation and clean water |
Among these, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C remain the greatest public health concerns in Pakistan due to their potential to become chronic infections.
Patients’ Aid Foundation has spent over thirty years helping improve healthcare services at JPMC, ensuring thousands of deserving patients receive quality treatment regardless of their financial circumstances. Your generosity allows these healthcare services to continue reaching those who need them the most.
Signs and Symptoms of Hepatitis
Hepatitis symptoms may vary depending on the type and severity of infection. Some people experience no symptoms at all, making regular screening even more important.
Common symptoms include:
- Constant weakness and fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in the upper right side of the abdomen
- Dark-coloured urine
- Pale stools
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Headache
- Joint pain & itchy skin
- Unexplained weight loss
- Easy bruising & bleeding
If you or anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Early intervention significantly improves treatment outcomes. Share this blog with friends and family to spread the word!
How to Prevent Hepatitis
Preventing hepatitis begins with informed decisions and responsible healthcare practices.
- Get Vaccinated: Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B. Ensuring children receive their routine immunisations also reduces future infection rates.
- Use Sterile Medical Equipment: Never accept injections or medical procedures unless sterile, disposable equipment is being used. Unsafe injections remain a major contributor to hepatitis transmission in Pakistan.
- Ensure Safe Blood Transfusions: Blood should only be received from licensed blood banks where proper screening is carried out.
- Avoid Sharing Personal Items: Razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and needles may carry infected blood and should never be shared.
- Maintain Good Hygiene: Clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and regular handwashing reduce the risk of Hepatitis A and Hepatitis E infections.
- Get Screened Regularly: Individuals who have undergone surgeries, blood transfusions, dialysis, or dental procedures should consider hepatitis screening even if they feel perfectly healthy.
Awareness saves lives. Every educational campaign supported by Patients’ Aid Foundation allows more people to understand the importance of prevention, early diagnosis, and timely treatment.
Patients’ Aid Foundation Continues Serving Humanity
Patients’ Aid established Jinnah OPD Complex houses specialized clinics for Hepatitis patients where Hepatitis patients are provided comprehensive healthcare and free medicines.
Donate now to support a hepatitis patient visiting JPMC OPD and his/her medication - Every Rupee Matters: https://patientsaidjpmc.org/opd-outpatient-treatment-fund/
For more than 30 years, Patients’ Aid Foundation has worked within JPMC, Karachi, strengthening over twenty hospital departments and helping provide Free healthcare services to underprivileged patients.
From emergency care and cancer treatment to dialysis, pharmacy support, laboratory services, radiology, and advanced diagnostics, the Foundation continues to improve healthcare accessibility for thousands of deserving families every day.
Apka aaj diya gaya ‘Sadqa’ kayi janein bacha sakta hai!
- A father postpones his medical tests because school fees come first.
- A mother silently ignores her symptoms because feeding her children matters more than visiting a doctor.
- A young patient waits for hope while worrying about treatment costs.
These and many more stories unfold every day in Jinnah Hospital Karachi. Your Zakat, Sadqah, and Khairaat have the power to change these stories. They can help strengthen healthcare services, support life-saving medical care at JPMC, Karachi, and ensure that awareness campaigns continue reaching communities where knowledge can prevent disease before it begins.
Zakat purifies wealth. What greater purpose could there be than giving another human being the opportunity to live a healthier life?
