FREQUENCY OF HEPATITIS B AND C IN SELECTED GROUPS OF POPULATION IN NWFP, PAKISTAN

Objective: To determine the frequency of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in selected groups of population in NWFP, Pakistan.Material and Methods: We analyzed our unpublished data as well as searched out local data, published till December 2006, to know the frequency of Hepatitis B and C in NWFP in the following groups: 1) general population, 2) healthy blood donors, 3) pre-procedure screening, 4) patients with liver diseases, and 5) high risk populations like thalassaemia.Results: We found 2.28% prevalence for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 3.19% for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in general population, 1.83% (HBV) and 2.34% (HCV) in healthy blood donors, 2.09% (HBV) and 4.06% (HCV) in screening data, 27.55% (HBV) and 48.78% (HCV) in chronic hepatitis patients, 26.56% (HBV) and 51.09% (HCV) in liver cirrhosis, 14.28% (HBV) and 67.86% (HCV) in hepatoma, and 6.7% (HBV) and 40.9% (HCV) in children with thalassaemia requiring multiple transfusions.Conclusion: We conclude that HCV and HBV has become one of the major problems in NWFP like the rest of the country, resulting in chronic liver disease and its complications.