SATV, Kathmandu, July. 29 - The federal on Tuesday declared hepatitis C a “national emergency” and unveiled an ambitious campaign to screen 164 million people as the government steps up efforts to eliminate one of the world’s highest hepatitis C burdens by 2030.

Hepatitis C affects more than 10 million people and causes about 110,000 new infections each year, according to the health ministry. The Prime Minister’s National Hepatitis C Elimination Program will begin in phases and provide free screening, diagnostic testing and a three-month course of antiviral treatment to those diagnosed with the virus.

“Hepatitis C is no longer just a public health issue but a national emergency requiring an urgent and coordinated response,” Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said, speaking on World Hepatitis Day.

The program aims to screen more than 164 million people in phases, with the federal government initially implementing the campaign in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan before expanding it nationwide in coordination with provincial governments.

Every patient diagnosed through the program will receive a free three-month course of antiviral treatment worth about Rs34,000 ($120), with additional treatment also provided at no cost if required, the minister said.

Kamal said Pakistan had adopted Egypt’s mass-screening model, which rapidly reduced hepatitis C infections through nationwide testing and treatment.

He urged Pakistanis to take advantage of free screening services, warning that untreated hepatitis C can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer despite being curable in more than 95 percent of cases if diagnosed and treated early.

The minister also announced plans to introduce legislation making screening for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other infectious diseases mandatory before surgery and other invasive medical procedures. The requirement would be gradually extended to public and private hospitals to strengthen early diagnosis and improve patient safety, he said.