ISLAMABAD, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed his country's commitment to eliminating Hepatitis C, describing the disease as a major public health challenge and pledging to expand free screening, diagnosis and treatment services across the country.

Pakistan remains among the countries with the highest burden of Hepatitis C, and ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services for prevention and treatment remains one of its top priorities, the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.

Highlighting the government's efforts to protect people from the disease, Sharif said the National Program for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Infection, launched in 2025, is a landmark initiative aimed at providing millions of Pakistanis with free screening, confirmatory testing and effective treatment.

Under the program, screening, diagnostic and treatment services are being provided in Islamabad's major public hospitals, while mobile screening units have also been deployed to improve access in communities, he added.

Besides that, a nationwide ban on the manufacture, distribution and reuse of substandard syringes has been imposed, strengthening enforcement of infection prevention and hygiene protocols in hospitals and healthcare facilities to help curb the spread of the disease, Sharif said.

The premier said that through collective efforts, close cooperation, scientific innovation and public participation, Pakistan will achieve the global goal of eliminating Hepatitis C as a major public health threat by 2030.