Pakistan’s Hepatitis C Programme Offers Free Screening, Tests And Treatment
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The government initiative initially covers Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with 17 screening points established in Islamabad and plans to expand services nationwide for low-income patients.
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Nov, 2026) For millions who risk losing their lives to hepatitis C simply because they cannot afford its diagnosis and treatment, the Prime Minister’s Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C has emerged as a beacon of hope, offering free screening, medicines and treatment to save lives and protect families from the devastating consequences of the disease.
Hepatitis C has long been a silent threat, often discovered when the disease has already begun damaging the liver.
For poor families, the fear of diagnosis is compounded by the inability to afford expensive medical tests and treatment.
Now, the Prime Minister’s National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C is offering a new ray of hope, bringing free screening, diagnosis and treatment within the reach of people who might otherwise remain untreated and vulnerable to life-threatening complications.
The programme represents a significant step towards protecting lives and ensuring that poverty does not deprive anyone of the opportunity to recover from a disease that is now largely curable with modern medicines.
The scale of the challenge is enormous. Around 60 million people worldwide, including an estimated 11 million in Pakistan, are affected by hepatitis C.
Transmitted primarily through infected blood, contaminated syringes and improperly sterilized or shared blades, the disease is often described as a silent killer because it can remain undetected for years before causing serious liver complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Despite its potentially devastating consequences, hepatitis C is curable in most cases, making early diagnosis and timely treatment essential to saving lives. Recognizing the financial barriers faced by millions of Pakistanis, the government has introduced free screening, diagnostic testing and treatment under the Prime Minister's initiative.
Under the programme, patients are being provided free PCR diagnostic tests, which normally cost around Rs 8,000, while treatment worth approximately Rs 34,000 to Rs 68,000 is also being provided without charge.
For low-income families, this financial support represents substantial relief. Many patients postpone medical examinations or avoid treatment altogether because they cannot afford diagnostic tests and medicines. By removing these financial barriers, the programme aims to ensure that economic hardship does not become a reason for preventable illness, liver complications or loss of life.
Initially launched in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the programme is envisaged to extend its free screening and treatment facilities.