Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has approved a Rupees 2.5 billion countrywide programme for prevention and control of hepatitis in Pakistan. It will be called Prime Minister's Programme for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis, said an official statement. Aziz said that more than 5 million people in Pakistan were suffering from this deadly disease. The government has decided to combat it on war footing, he added. The programme envisages free treatment of chronic patients along with increasing public awareness regarding preventive methods. The prime minister expressed his government's firm determination to make all efforts for checking and preventing the deadly disease. He directed the Ministry of Health to make arrangements for the treatment of 5,000 chronic patients every year free of cost as the treatment of hepatitis is very costly. The national strategy for prevention and controlling hepatitis focuses on supply of safe drinking water, safe injections, medical devices and proper waste management in addition to safety of blood and blood products. It also involves creating greater public awareness regarding preventive methods with the help of media.
