Shaukat Abrar, Zia Ullah Khan, Javaid Usman, Agha Babar Hussain.
Hepatitis screening in the Armed Forces - A cost effective approach.
Pak J Pathol Jan ;13(2):24-6.

This study was carried out to analyze the cost effectiveness of the program for screening of new induction in Pakistan Armed Forces for hepatitis B and C. Four thousand two hundred and thirty nine young healthy male adults with age ranging between 18 and 22 years, who were candidates for induction into the Armed Forces, were tested for HBsAg and Anti HCV to screen for hepatitis B and C respectively from Oct 2001 to 31 May 2002. Blood samples were collected at CMH Abbottabad. HBsAg and Anti HCV screening was carried by one step cassette style devices, based on immunochromatographic principle. The blood samples found positive by device method were confirmed by third generation Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) in case of HBsAg and by fourth generation ELISA in case of Anti HCV. The expenditure incurred on screening was compared with possible expenditure on treatment, in case of not screening these individual. The screen program was found quite cost effective.

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