Rawalpindi's 2nd Hepatitis Eradication Phase Begins Tomorrow

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by Hamna Bano

31-07-2023
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After the first successful phase of the Local Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention project in collaboration with primary and secondary healthcare departments in Punjab, the second phase is about to launch tomorrow 31st July 2023. 

This Phase will initially cover the population of the Union Council 10, taking help from 10 teams that will pay door-to-door visits to provide screening of hepatitis B and C.

Starting from August 7, additional 30 teams will join the existing field staff to reach out to the population in union councils 11, 14, and 15 of Rawalpindi. 

 

The LHEAP project, in collaboration with the Global Hepatitis Elimination Task Force, is exclusively launched for the people of Rawalpindi district. Initially, the project aims to screen 100,000 individuals for hepatitis in four union councils of Rawal Town. Those who test positive for hepatitis B or C will receive free treatment under this project.

With the assistance of the district health department employees, the first phase of the LHEAP project was implemented in UC 10 from July 10 to July 17, screening 10166 people for hepatitis B and C while immunizing 2679 others against the disease. 

200 out of the 10166 people checked were positive for hepatitis, including 139 with hepatitis C and 61 with hepatitis B.

Dr. Anser Ishaq who is Director of District Health Authority Rawalpindi said that “For the second phase to be launched from August 1, as many as 80 skilled persons including vaccinators and dispensers have been recruited.”

He added that “40 teams,10 for each union council, formed for the field activities would be supervised by area in-charges in each union council", he said.

He also added, “LHEAP primary health care unit has already been established at Municipal Medical Centre along 5th Road in Satellite Town, the Red Crescent Complex that would work from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under qualified primary health care physicians.”

According to Dr. Anser, “The LHEAP is also planning a seminar and training session for doctors from the district health authority and the Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians on August 5 at a nearby hotel in Islamabad."

It is where qualified medical experts will provide training on hepatitis management.