Karachi: As Pakistan struggles with one of the world’s highest hepatitis burdens, the ChildLife Foundation has renewed its call for urgent, coordinated action to protect the country’s most vulnerable—its children.
Marking World Hepatitis Day under the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” the organization stressed the need for nationwide efforts in treatment, awareness, and prevention.
Pakistan has the second-highest global burden of Hepatitis C, with an estimated 9.7 million people infected. The national prevalence stands at 4.3%, nearly ten times the global average, with rural and underserved populations disproportionately affected. Contributing factors include unsafe medical practices, syringe reuse, unregulated blood transfusions, and poor sanitation.
Children remain especially at risk. Hepatitis A, commonly spread through contaminated food and water, affects 90% of Pakistani children before the age of 10. Nearly all have HAV antibodies by adolescence. Hepatitis E also continues to impact older children and young adults, particularly in areas with poor hygiene and sanitation.
Since 2010, ChildLife Foundation has been at the forefront of pediatric emergency care in Pakistan, offering free 24/7 services in over 300 government hospitals. In the past year alone, more than 5,000 children with hepatitis-related illnesses were treated in ChildLife Emergency Rooms (ERs).
“Every hepatitis case in a child is a call to strengthen our public health systems and preventive efforts,” said Dr. Ahson Rabbani, CEO of ChildLife Foundation. “At ChildLife, we are not only saving lives through emergency care but also building awareness to prevent future infections.”
ChildLife’s approach blends emergency care with prevention. Its ERs enforce strict infection control protocols, including safe injection practices, equipment sterilization, and waste management. Trained counselors educate parents on hand hygiene, clean water, breastfeeding, and the importance of timely vaccinations. After discharge, families continue to receive follow-up health messages to reinforce these preventive practices.
To extend reach into underserved regions, ChildLife has expanded its Telemedicine network, connecting remote government hospitals to trained pediatricians in major cities. This allows children in small towns and rural areas to access expert care without the burden of travel. The system also facilitates counseling for families and follow-up for hepatitis cases.
The foundation’s work also includes special care for newborns of Hepatitis B-positive mothers, providing immunoglobulin at birth to ensure early protection.
ChildLife emphasizes that combating hepatitis requires a unified national response. It urges policymakers, healthcare professionals, civil society, and the public to take collective action—by raising awareness, improving sanitation, ensuring vaccination coverage, and encouraging widespread testing.
“As we observe World Hepatitis Day, let us renew our commitment to ending this silent epidemic,” Dr. Rabbani added. “Together, we can reduce the hepatitis burden and protect every child’s right to a healthy future.”
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