The World Health Organization (WHO) says an estimated 12.9 million people in Pakistan are living with hepatitis, while more than 48,000 people die each year from the disease.
According to the WHO, one person dies from hepatitis in Pakistan every 11 minutes, and the country remains among the world’s most affected nations for hepatitis C.
The report states that around 9.1 million people in Pakistan are infected with hepatitis C, while 3.8 million are living with hepatitis B.
The WHO said only three out of every 10 patients have access to treatment, leaving millions without the care they need.
Unsafe injections and unsafe blood transfusions remain the leading causes of hepatitis transmission in the country, the organisation added.
According to the report, more than 88,000 new hepatitis C cases were recorded in Pakistan during 2024.
The WHO has urged Pakistan to accelerate efforts to achieve the global target of eliminating hepatitis by 2030.
It added that work is continuing under the prime minister’s national programme aimed at eliminating hepatitis across the country.
