AKUH's 'Signs, Symptoms and Care' Programme

“Prevention of Hepatitis ‘B’ and ‘C’ diseases is very important as its treatment is difficult and costly.” This was stated by Dr Hasnain Ali Shah, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), speaking at a seminar on ‘Significant Health Issues in Pakistan’ held recently in Hyderabad. Dr Shah emphasised the importance of awareness of these harmful viruses, HBV and HBC, and of their vaccination strategies. He stated that these are important health issues in Pakistan, posing a significant burden on the population as regards ill health and mortality.

It is important that the disease be picked up at the earliest and appropriate measures instituted, observing that treatment results are generally “not satisfactory.”

Treatment of infected individuals is also crucial, so as to eliminate the reservoir of infection. Many features in HBV and HCV infections are similar: complications like cirrhosis of the liver and cancer can occur in both, while methods of spread are also the same. In terms of treatment “Interferon” injections are applied in both cases though doses of medication and treatment duration are different. HBV can also be treated with oral medication, however, significantly more needs to be done nationally as regards prevention and treatment.

The second speaker, Dr Uzma Shah, Associate Professor and Director, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Haepatology and Nutrition at AKUH disclosed that more than a third of school going children complain of abdominal pain lasting two weeks or longer. She was speaking on “Abdominal Pain in Children”, and further elaborated that recurrent abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons for parents to seek medical attention. Common causes of recurrent pain include constipation, gastroenteritis, peptic ulcer disease, reflux and urinary tract infections.

Dr Uzma Shah continued by saying that cases of recurrent pain requires evaluation by a physician, and that in some children the pain is due to various other problems involving the abdominal organs such as liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease, malignancies, infections and surgical problems.

Explaining that diagnosis of these cases has five components: history, a physical examination, laboratory testing, results of imaging studies and response to empiric therapy, she informed that the relative value of each component depends on the child's age and, in some cases, on the level of cooperation from child and parents. A programme of treatment is then initiated and the patient should maintain regular follow-up visits to the physician.

As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised over 200 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care’ programmes in Karachi, Hyderabad and the UAE, benefiting more than 40,000 people. Similarly, Aga Khan University Hospital’s Patient Welfare Programme offers financial assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of treatment. In 2005, 74 per cent of all patients treated at AKUH were from low- to middle-income groups. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs. 1.4 billion has been disbursed to more than 250,000 needy patients

Urdu Version