36,293 Tested For Hepatitis During LHEAP’s Drive

Sumaira FH Published February 20, 2024 | 09:59 PM

As many as 36,293 persons had been screened for Hepatitis B and C so far during the second phase of the Local Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention (LHEAP) drive started on July 10,2023

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Feb, 2024) As many as 36,293 persons had been screened for Hepatitis B and C so far during the second phase of the Local Hepatitis Elimination and Prevention (LHEAP) drive started on July 10,2023.

Chief Executive Officer LHEAP Dr Ansar Ishaq told media that the prevalence of hepatitis in the nine union councils of Rawalpindi was recorded as 2.79 percent through rapid test while the highest rate of occurrence was recorded in the area of Fauji Colony at 9.95 per cent.

He said that initially the project was launched in four union councils of the Rawalpindi city which was later extended to nine union councils of the district including UCs 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 32, 33 and 116.

Around 1012 had been diagnosed positive for hepatitis including 186 positives for hepatitis B virus, 811 for hepatitis C and 15 positives for both HCV and HBV ,he said and added that LHEAP’s teams had visited a total of 8,439 houses in the nine union councils and administered 20,276 doses of vaccine against hepatitis B.

He said that the under the LHEAP project free of cost testing and treatment facility was being provided to the patients in the selected UCs.