The current global pandemic of hepatitis is a major public health problem. Accordingto WHO Reports (April 27-29, 1987), the prevalence of hepatitis is 0.5 to 10% indifferent parts of the world. There are 350 million carriers of HBV and 170 millionpeople are infected with HCV all over the world. Two third of these people live indeveloping countries. In Pakistan, carrier rate of HBV is 4-5% and that of HCV is 5-6% with total population of 14.5 million. Many of these patients end up with chronichepatitis, cirrhosis, end stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.

In 1995, acute infectious diarrhoea caused more than three million deaths worldwidein children less than five years of age, a death rate that has gone down from fivemillion per year in 1987. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries, where two thirds of the world's population live.

Repeated admissions and presentations in emergency as well as in outpatient department with complications like GI bleed, ascites, encephalopathy,hepatocellular carcinoma, hepato-renal and hepato-pulmonary syndrome, causes a lot of strain on hospital financial resources, human resource, hospital logistics, laboratory and blood bank services and add misery, financial constraints and social problems to the family. Regarding GI disease, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome and GI malignancies are common in Europe and USA, while in developing countries GI infections, chronic diarrhoea, abdominal tuberculosis, ulcer peptic disease and dyspepsia are common.

In Pakistan, poverty, rapid urbanization, inadequate sewerage disposal, lack of clean drinking water, lack of education and health facilities had resulted in increased burden of preventable GI and liver diseases in tertiary care hospitals. In light of these facts, Rawalians’ Research Forum planned to document the magnitude of GI and Liver diseases in teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi i.e., Holy Family Hospital, District Headquarters Hospital and Rawalpindi General Hospital for eight years from 1998 to 2005.