Efforts to eliminate hepatitis gaining momentum

New World Health Organisation (WHO) data from 28 countries – representing approximately 70 per cent of the global hepatitis burden – indicate that efforts to eliminate hepatitis are gaining momentum.

The greatest danger the disease poses is that most people with hepatitis B are not aware that they have the disease. Western Europe is expected to dominate global hepatitis C virus testing market over the forecast period due to high incidence of HCV. “If it is multiplying, we need to treat”, he said. Hepatitis A is usually a self-limiting variety of the illness but hepatitis B, C and D are chronic ones transmitted mainly through bodily fluids. A survey done in 2007 found that close to 7% of people in the province of Punjab had hepatitis C, while around 5% of people were infected in the entire country. In India, prevalence of hepatitis B is 3-5% while hepatitis C is 1%.

Talking to mediapersons here today, head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Dr BD Goswami said they are hopeful that both the State government and the ICMR would soon come up with some positive steps in this regard. Most countries in Asia Pacific consider the fight against hepatitis to be a key public health issue, so the challenge now is to ensure that public health programmes are implemented effectively.

Every year there are 400 million people around the world who have to live with hepatitis C or B and 1.4 million who die from viral hepatitis.

So, let’s find out how much do you know about hepatitis by taking the quiz provided by World Health Organization below. It is also the most common cause of either liver failure or liver cancer and it is 100 times more infectious than HIV. Long term Use of injection drugs, use of non-sterile needles for tattooing and body piercing etc. are common causes for spread of hepatitis C virus infection. In about 30 to 40 percent of cases, infection occurs without a known cause.

Hepatitis C is caused by hepatitis C Virus.

“These virus-infected persons are the potential source of infection to their neonates, members of the family and other individuals”, he added. HCV leads to chronic infection in 80% of infected patients.

The major symptoms of the disease are jaundice, stomach aches, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue. India has the second highest prevalence of HBV and amounts to 15 percent of the global pool of the infection. This is a risk in South Africa, where there are many HIV-infected patients. It can be passed from mother to child during childbirth. Consequently, every pregnant woman should be tested for hepatitis B antigen. The average price of the required three-month treatment course of this generic is between US$260 and US$280, a small fraction of the original cost of the medicine when it first went on the market in 2013. Accelerating the discovery of a cure is essential in shortening the treatment duration. Irrespective of the infectivity status a new born baby should receive immunoglobulin along with vaccination within 12 hours of the birth.

“When the engine room of the factory is faulty, the entire system will not be able to work, and hepatitis affects the liver”. Treatment is available and helps prevent further damage and also reverses damage from liver scarring. The awareness of this disease is very low in India.

Political support is essential to tackling hepatitis. Sometimes half of them do not show any symptoms at an early age. The precautions took by the people they’re diagnosed nearly half of the patients.

The collaboration of Government of Punjab with PKLI is a good example of public private partnership for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis.