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ARTICLE TYPE : RESEARCH ARTICLE

Published on :   29 Aug 2026, Volume - 2
Journal Title :   WebLog Journal of Internal Medicine | WebLog J Intern Med | WJIM
Source URL:   weblog icon https://weblogoa.com/articles/wjim.2026.h2903
Permanent Identifier (DOI) :   doi icon https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22500521

The Demographic Signature of Hepatitis C in Pakistan: Cross-Sectional Patterns Across Age and Sex

Muhammad Rehan Uppal 1
Rizwan Uppal 1
Umar Saeed 1 *
Muhammad Saad Uppal 1
Zahra Zahid Piracha 1
1Department of Research and Development, Islamabad Diagnostic Center, F8 Markaz, Islamabad, Pakistan; And International Center of Medical Sciences Research (ICMSR), Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) remains a major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and Pakistan continues to experience one of the highest HCV burdens globally. This cross-sectional study estimated HCV prevalence in a sample population from Pakistan and explored variations across age and gender groups. Fifty-seven individuals who underwent HCV testing during routine clinical assessment were included. HCV status was determined using serological testing, and demographic variables were extracted from de-identified records. Overall and subgroup-specific prevalence estimates were calculated with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs), using the Wilson score method to improve precision in small subgroups. Overall HCV prevalence was 15.79% (9/57; 95% CI: 8.56-27.18). The highest prevalence was observed among participants aged 21-40 years (37.5%; 95% CI: 14.78-69.95), followed by those aged 41-60 years (14.29%; 95% CI: 5.01-33.55) and 61-80 years (12.0%; 95% CI: 4.18-29.75). No positive cases were observed in the 0-20 years or 81+ years groups, although the very wide confidence intervals in these groups reflected limited sample size. Male participants had a slightly higher prevalence (17.14%; 95% CI: 8.13-32.57) than female participants (13.64%; 95% CI: 4.76-33.04), but overlapping confidence intervals suggested no clear gender-based difference. The findings indicate a substantial HCV signal in this sample and emphasize the need for targeted screening, risk-factor assessment, and linkage to curative direct acting antiviral therapy, particularly among young and middle-aged adults.

Keywords: Hepatitis C Virus; Pakistan; Prevalence; Epidemiology; Age Distribution; Gender; Screening

Citation

Rehan Uppal M, Uppal R, Saeed U, Saad Uppal M, Zahid Piracha Z. The Demographic Signature of Hepatitis C in Pakistan: Cross-Sectional Patterns Across Age and Sex. WebLog J Intern Med. wjim.2026.h2903. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22500521
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