Rising prevalence of Hepatitis B and C and risk factors at District Headquarter Teaching Hospital Bannu, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

HBV and HCV are common health problems in developing countries like Pakistan, sharing the same mode of transmission. The purpose is to determine the prevalence of HBV and HCV, and its risk factors in Bannu. A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in medical units of DHQTH, Bannu, from January, 2004 till December, 2008. A total of 25944 patients comprising 13953 males (53.7%) and 11991 females (46.3%) all above the age of 15 years, were screened for HBV and HCV by rapid method and confirmed by ELISA technique. Out of those, 1352 (5.2%) patients were found positive either for HBV or HCV, 502 (1.93%) patients for HBV, whereas 850 (3.27%) patients for HCV. Non of the patients were found positive for both HBV and HCV. Nine hundred and five (67.0%) were males and 447, (33.0%) were females. Average age was 35-55 years. Keeping in mind the above mentioned results, the most important goal to be achieved is to increase the literacy rate and awareness among people about HBV and HCV so that it endeminity could be controlled.