Latest Hepatitis B News & Updates

Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) The WHO’s Global Hepatitis Report 2026 has revealed that Pakistan is the single largest contributor to the number of people living with hepatitis C in the world, even as field reports from different parts of the country revealed continued availability of banned reusable syringes and fake auto-disable syringes in the market, which experts fear can cause transmission of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, when used repeatedly by unqualified practitioners. Pakistan is among t…

Islamabad, May 1 (IANS) Pakistan is the single largest contributor to the global number of people living with hepatitis C, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Hepatitis Report 2026 has revealed. In addition, Pakistan has been named among the 10 nations which have most hepatitis C related deaths worldwide, sparking concerns over unsafe injections, reusable syringes and weak infection prevention measures in the country, local media reported. According to the WHO report, hepatitis B and C ar…

Manila, April 24 (IANS) The World Health Organization (WHO) renewed its call for intensified immunisation efforts across the Western Pacific region, warning of a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.The WHO stressed the need to protect hard-won gains in vaccination programmes, reach children who continue to miss routine immunisations, and sustain public confidence in vaccines at every stage of life, according to a statement from the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in Manila, Ph…

Islamabad, April 22 (IANS) Pakistan has the world’s highest number of Hepatitis C (HCV) patients due to negligence and unchecked medical culture which enables more than 600,000 quack doctors to practice all over the country. Combined with Hepatitis B (HBV), 13.8-15 million Pakistanis are believed to be living with either virus and only 25-30 per cent people actually know about it, a report has highlighted. “The healthcare system of Pakistan is currently in such a state that it sometimes punishes…

Islamabad, March 31 (IANS) Pakistan’s Karachi has reported its first case of mpox in 2026, local media reported on Tuesday citing hospital sources. A 31-year-old man who returned from abroad was screened at Karachi airport, where his symptoms raised suspicion of infection. He was immediately taken to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital for further evaluation, Pakistan’s leading daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported.The patient was admitted to the hospital, where he underwent medical examinatio…

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) The government has issued a draft Gazette Notification proposing amendments to avoid duplicate viral testing of blood products and invited public comments on it, an official statement said on Wednesday.The amendment aims to align regulatory requirements for testing of blood products with internationally accepted pharmacopeial standards and to remove additional testing requirements on products that are not warranted under global best practices, the Ministry of Health an…

New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) A world-first Australian trial has found that a simple fingerstick test for hepatitis B DNA is as accurate as standard lab testing, paving the way for wider access in remote and resource-limited settings.Published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, the study showed that the point-of-care test can deliver results within an hour and be performed in decentralised clinics, Xinhua news agency reported. The fingerstick test can help overcome delays caused by laboratory-ba…