By Dr Laila Rizvi/Dr Kashif Riaz | Project Leader
Pakistan has the second highest disease burden for Hepatitis C (HCV) around the globe; affecting almost 8 million people. Interferon therapy used by the Government Hepatitis Control Programs within Pakistan showed a modest response of 60-70% thus making cure for HCV a dream. Now the new drugs like the direct-acting antivirals which are also known as DAA’s have a cure rates of over 95% and have the potential to radically shift the course of the Hepatitis C pandemic towards elimination. Sofosbuvir is the first registered DAA and has the lowest rates in Pakistan as compared to the other countries around the globe.
The Health Foundation (THF) is a non-profit organization working in highest prevalent areas of Pakistan against Hepatitis. In its project areas THF conducts the disease prevalence via a third party house to house prevalence survey and connect the positive patients to proper care by following the National Hepatitis C guidelines. The patients found Hepatitis C positive via the household survey are either sent to the nearby public sector tertiary care hospital for confirmation and treatment support through THF or they are privately follow up via a part time private gastroenterologist to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of non-affording cases. The affording ones pay for their tests and treatment. Supported, non affording cases are prescribed Sofosbuvir and Ribavarin for 6 months after they full fill THF’s scrutiny/criteria. National Hepatitis C Guidelines and the National Patient Monitoring Software are also used by THF to track the patient journey.
All screening, requisite tests for the positive non affording individuals including medicine and travel expenses are borne by the Foundation itself so that these patients do not suffer and do not have to spend a single penny thus giving them relaxation from any financial burden related to treatment. Due to a very high poverty rate in THF intervention poorest of the poor , high Hepatitis prevalent area , THF supports these patients via its “Adopt A Patient Initiative”
The data of all patients referred to THF treatment site is being entered in the National Hepatitis C software. At THF’s outlets consultation by specialist gastroenterologist, free oral Hepatitis C medicine as well as all requisite lab facilities are provided free of cost
With invaluable contributions from humane, socially responsible individuals and organizations such as yours, till date THF has provided free treatment to more than 3000 Hep C patients.
During the current year 249 patients have been registered for treatment of HCV at different THF project sites. Overall, PCR (HCVRNA) for 249 patients was done at 5-6 weeks of treatment and out of this number 248 (99.6%) PCRs came out negative. Majority of the patients completed their 6 months treatment in late May 2017 to early June 2017 while 6 patients are still on treatment. The final PCR also known as Sustained Viral Response (SVR) will be done 3 months after completion of treatment. Once the SVR comes out negative it means that the patient is fully cured and has recovered from Hepatitis C.
YOU have contributed in SAVING LIVES. May God Bless you and your families!!
THF looks forward to continued support from all of you to meet the challenge of fighting against the menace of Hepatitis in Pakistan
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
