Call to make hepatitis B vaccination mandatory soon after birth

KARACHI: Health experts stressed the need to formulate a policy for administering vaccination of hepatitis B soon after the birth to prevent the baby from the lethal disease. They said if vaccination of hepatitis B ensured at the time of birth to every child, the deadly disease could be controlled in the country within few years. Executive Director of The Health Foundation (THF) Qamar Jahan and Dr Muhammad Kashif Riaz said this at an awareness programme on hepatitis here at Arts Council of Pakistan on Wednesday. A free medical camp was also set up on the occasion, in which 50 people were tested for hepatitis B and C, of them two tested positive for hepatitis C and one for B. Dr Kashif said generally the vaccinations of hepatitis B administered soon after the birth, however, in Pakistan it was being delayed unnecessarily. The vaccination of hepatitis C had not been invented yet, but the vaccination of hepatitis B had been available so every person should get it administered on him to prevent the disease from attacking, he maintained. Dr Kashif said a hepatitis B affected mother always transmits the disease to the infant, however, there are chances that a hepatitis C affected mother transmits the disease to the baby. Qamar Jahan, while giving presentation, said hepatitis B and C spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person. She said the other routes of the diseases including having sex with an infected person without using a condom, sharing needles used for injecting drugs with an infected person, getting a tattoo or piercing with tools that were not cleaned well, sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes with an infected person. She said there were 12 million people suffering from hepatitis B and C in the country. She clarified that hepatitis did not spread from contaminated water, casual contact such as hugging, sneezing, coughing, or sharing food or drinks. The event was organised by Medical and Social Welfare Committee of Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi in collaboration with the THF. haris hanif

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