Pakistan, WHO Launch PM's Hepatitis C National Elimination Programme
Pakistan and the World Health Organisation have jointly launched the Prime Minister's Hepatitis C Elimination Programme, marking a significant national commitment to eradicating one of the country's most burdensome infectious diseases. The programme is anchored in a government-led public health framework and carries the direct institutional backing of the prime minister's office, signalling its elevation to a national priority.
Hepatitis C remains a severe public health crisis in Pakistan, which carries one of the highest burdens of the disease globally. Millions of Pakistanis live with chronic infection, many undiagnosed, placing enormous strain on both health outcomes and the public healthcare system.
The WHO's partnership lends international credibility and technical support to the initiative, which is expected to encompass expanded screening, subsidised treatment, and awareness campaigns across urban and rural populations. Coordination with provincial health departments will be critical to ensure implementation at the district level.
The launch represents a policy shift from reactive case management to proactive national elimination, aligning Pakistan's public health trajectory with WHO's global hepatitis elimination targets set for 2030. Officials have indicated that the programme will prioritise the most vulnerable and underserved communities.
Health experts have long called for a sustained, funded, and politically backed programme of this nature. If fully resourced and implemented, the initiative has the potential to substantially reduce hepatitis C prevalence and avert thousands of liver-related deaths annually in Pakistan.
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