Pakistan’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and key partners, has committed to intensifying efforts against hepatitis C, with the ambitious goal of averting 850,000 deaths and 1.1 million new infections by 2050 under the umbrella of the Prime Minister’s National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C.

Chaired by Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, a high-level event during World Hepatitis Day (28 July) reaffirmed this commitment. Experts emphasized that prevention strategies, including scaling up testing and treatment, ensuring safe injection practices, and integrating harm reduction, are central to reaching elimination targets.

The programme aims to save 150,000 lives and prevent 210,000 infections by 2030, while averting 90,000 liver cancer cases and 71,000 cases of cirrhosis. It is projected to generate savings of PKR 3.3 billion in healthcare costs over five years through reduced hospitalization and treatment expenses.

IT is estimated that Pakistan carries the heaviest hepatitis C burden globally, with nearly 10 million cases. Alarmingly, only 25–30% of those infected are aware of their status. Each year, around 110,000 new infections occur, 62% due to unsafe medical injections and 38% from injection drug use. As WHO Representative Dr. Dapeng Luo stated, “Prevention is our strongest weapon,” calling on national authorities to integrate hepatitis services within broader health systems and coverage.

Pakistan and WHO reaffirmed that they will work tirelessly to boost screening, treatment, and public awareness campaigns. The National Programme aims to test 82.5 million people aged 12 and above (50% of the eligible population) and treat five million individuals by 2027.

This renewed partnership reflects strong political determination, WHO’s technical guidance, and a unified public health mission to break the silence, reduce stigma, and effectively combat hepatitis C as a public health threat.