Dear Sir,
Media plays a very important in our daily lives. Most of the information given on air regarding Hepatitis B/C is wrong. According to a few tv channels Hepatitis B/C is spread via contaminated water which is wrong. Hepatitis B & C is killing millions worldwide. The situation is no less different here in Pakistan. 12 million Pakistanis are already affected with Hepatitis B & C. If left untreated majority of these infected individuals will lose their liver and life in the next 10-30 years. Each year 23 million new cases of Hepatitis B & C are reported worldwide . The main source of infection for Hepatitis B & C is the re-use of infected syringes. This practice is very rampant in Pakistan. In certain regions, use of injections has completely overtaken the real need. Syringes, needles and other sharps are often reused without being sterilized and a single disposable syringe is being used more than once on multiple patients. 70% of the injections given are considered unnecessary instead an oral formulation (e.g., a pill) is equally effective.
At The Health Foundation; our main aim is awareness and prevention of Hepatitis B & C and to make “Pakistan Hepatitis Free.” For this we need to educate Pakistanis. You can play an important role in curbing this disease before it enters every house. You can simply run messages; educating people about injection use/injection safety just like they say “say no to drugs” we should advocate “say no to injections” as undue use of injections has made Pakistan a cirrhotic state. Also more often than not misleading information is either printed or aired regarding mode of spread of Hepatitis B & C. For future reference we have no listed important facts relating to the spread of Hepatitis.
References:
i)http://www.who.int/injection_safety/about/resources/en/QuestionAndAnswersInjectionSafety.pdf
ii)http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs253/en/
iii)http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(04)17458-8/fulltext
iv)Cirrhosis is an abnormal liver condition in which there is irreversible scarring of the liver.
Dr Kashif Riaz
The Health Foundation.
www.thehealthfoundation.org
Tags: Awareness, Hepatitis, media, roll, TV