Karachi: Fatima Jinnah Dental College (FJDC) observed World Hepatitis day on the 28th of July 2022. The theme of the event was set to raise awareness amongst the public against one the most prevalent diseases in the country.
Hepatitis is a term that is used to describe inflammation of the liver. To recognize its prevalence, especially in underprivileged countries, World Hepatitis Day is observed globally on the 28th of July every year. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 71 Million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis and 400,000 people die from it annually. Pakistan has the world’s second highest prevalence of hepatitis C, second only to Egypt.
The theme for this year’s Hepatitis day by WHO is ‘I Can’t Wait’ which builds on the previous campaign “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”. This theme emphasizes on the social disparities and inequities caused by a lack of action on hepatitis elimination efforts and focuses on the positive action needed to ultimately move towards giving a better life to those affected.
This campaign will serve to amplify the voice of the people affected by Hepatitis in hopes of bringing immediate action from decision makers to prioritize the elimination of this disease.
Fatima Jinnah Dental College (FJDC) is not a silent observer in the fight against Hepatitis. FJDC has been fairly active in spreading awareness of the disease in the community by celebrating World Hepatitis Day at our campuses each year.
This year FJDC will be hosting another Vaccination Drive at our campuses, where Hepatitis B vaccines will be administered to all students, house officers, staff and faculty members along with booster shots for those who need them.
FJDC also focuses on ensuring that students from our institute have a clear understanding of the disease, how to manage and sterilize dental equipment to minimize any form of cross-contamination, and also teaches them the protocols of patient management when dealing with an infected patient.
We at FJDC believe that in order to eradicate the disease, it is important not only to focus on treatment options but also on the education of the masses as well. We urgently need to take effective measures to decrease the prevalence of this disease in the country.