Sindh Health Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar on Monday revealed that hepatitis cases are on the rise in Sindh province despite government efforts and now provincial authorities are planning to expand screening of people at Union Council level across the province.
He informed this while inaugurating the Healthy Sindh Program (Sehat Mand Sindh) program, an initiative of Sindh health department on the occasion of the World Health Day.
He said health department was giving top priority to health issues and basic aim of launching the Healthy Sindh Program is to educate people about important health issues like nutrition, family planning and vaccination. He said in first phase, three-day Sindh Health & Nutrition Festival will be kicked off in Mithi from 8th April, which will continue till 10th April.
Replying to a question about three-day Sindh Health & Nutrition Festival in Tharparkar, Dahar said the aim of organizing festival in Thar is to generate awareness among local population about vaccination, family planning, and nutrition, mother & neonatal health through awareness sessions, workshops and seminars.
He claimed that health delivery system has been improved in Thar district with government initiatives and provincial authorities are now focusing to resolve the social issues being faced by people of Thar. He said all steps have been taken under them “Prevention is better than cure”.
He vowed to extend the screening of hepatitis and HIV at Union Council level across the province as hepatitis cases are on the surge on the province. He said local level screening will help control further prevalence of disease.
He said health sector was being ignored in Karachi in the past and that is why provincial authorities are taking steps to address the problems related to the health in the city. He said eradication of polio virus is top most priority of government and efforts are underway to increase the vaccination coverage in the province by enhancing awareness.
Sindh Health Secretary Iftikhar Shahlwani, Vice Chancellor Jinnah Sindh Medical University Prof SM Tariq Rafi, Prof Anis Bhatti, Dr Malik Hamidullah, Prof Tariq Mehmood, Prof Saeed Qureshi, Prof Jamal Raza, Dr Suresh Kumar, Dr Jawaid Jamali and other health officials were also present at the event.
