Hepatitis may kill many in 10 years

THE World Health Organisation said on Tuesday more than five million people are likely to lose their lives over the next decade due to viral hepatitis in the South-East Asia region.
The inflammatory disease of the liver affects 100 million people with chronic hepatitis B infection in the region, WHO said ahead of the World Hepatitis Day July 28.
WHO estimates that more than five million people in the region will die from the consequences of viral hepatitis in the next 10 years.
“Viral hepatitis must be given priority in terms of both resources and effort,” Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO’s regional director for South-East Asia, said.
“Infant immunisation coverage for hepatitis B must reach levels greater than 95%. It should be mandatory for all blood and blood products to be screened for hepatitis B and C,” Plianbangchang said.
The most common causes of the viral infection are hepatitis virus A, B, C and E.
The infection can cause acute illness with symptoms such as nausea, dark urine, vomiting and abdominal pain.
“About 65 per cent of those with hepatitis B and 75 per cent of those with hepatitis C do not know they are infected. An effective vaccine has been available to prevent hepatitis B since 1982,” the WHO said.
The UN health agency said it was developing a strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis in the region.
WHO is bringing health experts from 11 countries who will help finalise the strategy addressing areas of policy, planning and resource mobilisation, surveillance, prevention and control, education, medical care and treatment and research.
“The quality of hepatitis testing in public and private laboratories needs to be monitored. We need widespread public awareness campaigns, targeted at health and social workers as well as the general public, to increase awareness about the risk of viral hepatitis,” Plianbangchang said.