Free hepatitis C screening and treatment launched in GB and AJK

Free hepatitis C screening, diagnostic testing and treatment services have been introduced in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). They operate under the Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C, which widens access to free healthcare in the two regions.

According to official sources cited by ProPakistani, three screening centres have been set up in Gilgit-Baltistan and six in AJK. The Ministry of National Health Services has urged residents of both regions to visit their nearest designated centre, and to spread awareness among their families and communities.

Under the initiative, patients receive free initial screening. PCR diagnostic tests are also provided free of charge; they are valued at around Rs8,000. Treatment is free as well, with a value of between Rs34,000 and Rs68,000.

The reports give the scale of the disease as an estimated 60 million people affected by hepatitis C worldwide, and around 11 million in Pakistan. The infection can spread through contaminated blood, unsafe injections and infected shaving equipment.

If left untreated, hepatitis C can cause serious liver damage and raise the risk of complications, including liver cancer. The health ministry has stressed that the disease is curable, and that early screening, timely diagnosis and completion of the full course of treatment are essential.

Residents who want more information can call the government's toll-free helpline at 1166. The programme was first introduced in Islamabad before being expanded to Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK, and the government plans to extend free screening, diagnosis and treatment to other parts of the country.