Free Hepatitis B and C Tests and Treatment in Pakistan: Where to Go
Where to get a free hepatitis B and C test in Pakistan, how PCR confirms it, how long treatment lasts, the free hepatitis B vaccine and helplines 1166 and 1033.
Free hepatitis B and C screening in Pakistan is offered at government hospitals and health camps, and the hepatitis B vaccine is free for every baby at birth under EPI. Start at your nearest DHQ or THQ hospital, or call 1166 (federal health helpline) or 1033 (Punjab Healthline) to find the counter. Hepatitis C is curable with tablets, and hepatitis B can be controlled.
We read what the federal health ministry, the provincial health departments and WHO Pakistan have published, up to 28 September 2026. The disease is not rare. WHO Pakistan says 12.9 million people in Pakistan live with hepatitis, over 9 million with hepatitis C and 3.86 million with hepatitis B.
Most of them do not know. The honest problem with "free hepatitis treatment" is not the medicine. It is finding which counter is running this month, because official information is scattered and often old.
Free hepatitis testing in Pakistan runs through government hospitals
Government hospitals and provincial health camps are the main route to a free hepatitis test in Pakistan. Punjab's health department lists a Hepatitis Control Program and ran free screening for hepatitis B and C in its May 2026 health camps. Sindh runs the Hepatitis Free Sindh Program.
Here is what each official source says, and how current it is.
| Programme | What the official page says | How current |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister's National Programme for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Infection | Named by WHO Pakistan as a national effort it supports | WHO statement of 28 July 2026 |
| Punjab Hepatitis Control Program | Listed among the health department's free programmes | Undated page; camps held May 2026 |
| Hepatitis Free Sindh Program | Vaccine, test kits and hepatitis B and C medicines supplied | Undated page; says extended 3 more years |
| Hepatitis B vaccine (EPI) | Free at birth, then in the pentavalent shots | Current national schedule |
| Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan | No current programme page found | Ask at the DHQ hospital |
We could not find a page on the federal health ministry's website that explains the Prime Minister's programme to the public: where to go, what is free, or who qualifies. WHO confirms it exists. Figures for its targets and budget circulate in the press, but we could not read them at source, so we do not repeat them here.
How to get tested for hepatitis B and C for free
A hepatitis check is a simple blood test. For hepatitis C, a positive antibody test must be followed by a PCR (RNA) test to confirm an active infection. For hepatitis B, the first test is HBsAg. Both screening tests are cheap and often free at government hospitals.
- Go to the medicine outpatient department (OPD) of your nearest DHQ or THQ hospital, or a government health camp.
- Ask for a hepatitis B (HBsAg) and hepatitis C (anti-HCV) screening test. Carry your CNIC.
- If the hepatitis C antibody test is positive, ask for a PCR test. WHO says about 30% of people clear the virus on their own, so a positive antibody test alone does not mean you need treatment.
- If hepatitis B is positive, the doctor will order more tests to decide if you need medicine now.
- Ask whether the hospital's hepatitis clinic gives free medicine, and register there.
The PCR step is where people get stuck, because not every hospital runs it. Ask the doctor which public lab does. Paying a private lab for PCR is sometimes quicker, but check first whether the government clinic will accept that report.
Blood safety matters here too. WHO lists unregulated private blood banks and reused syringes among the main ways hepatitis spreads in Pakistan, so if someone in your family needs blood, check the blood bank is licensed first.
Hepatitis C treatment is a short course of tablets
Hepatitis C is curable. WHO says direct-acting antiviral tablets, such as sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, cure more than 95% of people. The course is short and has few side effects. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, so a cure after testing is the main defence.
WHO also says the treatment is simple enough for trained general doctors and nurses to give in primary care. That is why screening at a THQ or a basic health clinic can lead straight to treatment, without a long wait for a liver specialist.
Your doctor sets the length of the course, which can be longer if the liver is already damaged. Finish every tablet. Then get the follow-up test the doctor asks for, because that is how you know you are cured.
One practical warning. Old treatment with interferon injections still appears on some official supply lists, including Sindh's. Tablets have replaced it in WHO's guidance, so ask if you are offered injections.
Hepatitis B treatment usually lasts for life
Hepatitis B can be controlled but usually not cured. WHO says chronic hepatitis B is treated with daily tablets such as tenofovir or entecavir, and most people who start must continue for life. Not everyone with hepatitis B needs medicine at once; tests decide that.
WHO estimates that more than half of people with chronic hepatitis B will need treatment under its 2024 guidelines. The rest need regular check-ups, because the disease can become active later.
Lifelong medicine is where cost bites. Sindh's programme page lists entecavir among the medicines it supplies. In Punjab, ask the hospital's hepatitis clinic. If the government clinic has run out and you cannot pay, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal medical assistance has a separate application form for hepatitis patients.
| Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | |
|---|---|---|
| First test | HBsAg | Anti-HCV antibody |
| Confirm test | Further blood tests | PCR (RNA) |
| Vaccine | Yes, free at birth | None |
| Medicine | Tenofovir or entecavir | Sofosbuvir and daclatasvir |
| Result | Controlled, often lifelong | Cured in over 95% |
The hepatitis B vaccine is free for every child
Every child in Pakistan gets the hepatitis B vaccine free under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). The national EPI schedule gives a hepatitis B dose at birth, then three pentavalent doses at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, which include hepatitis B.
The birth dose is the one families miss, especially after a home birth. WHO says it should be given within 24 hours. A baby infected at birth has about a 95% chance of lifelong infection, while an adult infected later has under 5%.
If your child missed the birth dose, still take them to the nearest EPI centre. For the vaccination centre near you, call the helpline 1166, which is printed on the schedule. The same centres give the free HPV vaccine for girls.
Adults can be vaccinated too. WHO advises it for health workers in particular. Sindh's programme lists an adult hepatitis B vaccine among its supplies; elsewhere, ask the hospital whether it has adult stock or whether you must buy it.
Stop hepatitis spreading at home and at the barber
Most hepatitis B and C in Pakistan spreads through blood. WHO names reused syringes, unscreened blood, surgery and dental work, piercing, tattoos and shared razors at barber shops as common routes. Hepatitis B also passes from mother to baby at birth.
- Ask for a new, sealed syringe for every injection. Punjab has ordered auto-disable syringes in its government hospitals.
- Ask the barber for a fresh blade, or carry your own.
- Do not share razors or toothbrushes at home.
- If a pregnant woman has hepatitis B, tell the hospital before delivery so the baby is protected at birth.
The Karachi HIV outbreak linked to one hospital is a reminder that unsafe injections spread more than one virus.
Common questions
Is the hepatitis C test free in Pakistan?
It is free at many government hospitals and during provincial health camps. Private labs charge. Ask at the medicine OPD of your DHQ or THQ hospital.
Can hepatitis C be cured completely?
Yes. WHO says antiviral tablets cure more than 95% of people with hepatitis C.
Can hepatitis B be cured?
Usually not, but it can be controlled. Most people who start hepatitis B medicine take it for life.
Is there a vaccine for hepatitis C?
No. There is a vaccine only for hepatitis B. It is free for babies under EPI.
How do I join the Prime Minister's hepatitis C programme?
We could not find an official public page explaining enrolment. Go to your nearest government hospital's hepatitis clinic, which is where screening and treatment are delivered.
Which helpline can guide me about hepatitis?
Call 1166, the federal health helpline printed on the EPI schedule, or 1033, Punjab's Healthline, which lists hepatitis among the diseases it advises on.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 28 September 2026. The prevalence figures and the naming of the Prime Minister's programme are read in WHO Pakistan's statement of 28 July 2026. Testing, cure rates, medicines and vaccine advice are read in WHO's hepatitis B and hepatitis C fact sheets. The vaccine schedule and the 1166 helpline are read on the Federal Directorate of Immunization's schedule. Punjab details are read on the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department website. Sindh details are read on the Sindh Health Department's Hepatitis Free Sindh Program page. We found no current public page for the Prime Minister's programme or for a KP or Balochistan programme.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
