Prevent Hepatitis: It's up to you

Ranjan K Baruah *

Free Hepatitis Detection Camp to commemorate World Hepatitis Day at Shija Hospitals on July 29 2014

Like any other diseases hepatitis has been a concern around the world. This has affected people in different countries. With 400 million people living with hepatitis B and C worldwide, 1.4 million die due to these infections every year and many more become newly infected. This may not look like a killer disease but the facts tell us that this is another disease which has bought many challenges for us.

Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by one of the five hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D and E. They are transmitted through different routes: Hepatitis A and E through contaminated food and water; Hepatitis B – through unsafe blood and other bodily fluids; Hepatitis C – mostly through infectious blood; and Hepatitis D – serving as an additional infection in the presence of Hepatitis B. These viruses all cause acute hepatitis which is characterized by fatigue, loss of appetite, fever and jaundice.

People may recover from it or may not but there are always possibilities of prevention. Transmission of this virus can be prevented through better awareness and services that improve vaccinations, blood and injection safety, and reduce harm. The hepatitis infections are present throughout the world.

Data on the prevalence of infection are missing for many countries; however, estimated half a billion people are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C virus. Such chronic infections are responsible for an estimated 57% of cases of liver cirrhosis and 78% of cases of primary liver cancer.

Hepatitis infection can be prevented by providing safe food and water (hepatitis A and E), vaccines (hepatitis A, B, and E), screening of blood donations and provision of sterile injecting equipment and assuring infection control (hepatitis B and C). However, prevention and awareness efforts are largely insufficient.

Since 1982, over 1 billion doses of hepatitis B vaccine have been used worldwide and millions of future deaths from liver cancer and cirrhosis have been prevented. In a number of countries where around 1 in 10 children used to become chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus, vaccination has reduced the rate of chronic infection to less than 1 in 100 among immunized children. To date, there is no available vaccine against hepatitis C.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has been intensifying its efforts to support countries in addressing viral hepatitis. The Global Hepatitis Programme was established in 2011 following a World Health Assembly resolution which also identified July 28, World Hepatitis Day as an official WHO day.

This year, WHO's flagship event takes place in Egypt, a country that has one of the world's highest hepatitis burdens. It is estimated that 10% of the ýpopulation between 15 and ýý59 years is chronically ýinfected with hepatitis C. Between 2007 and 2014, more than 350 000 people with hepatitis C have been treated.

Since the introduction of newer, more effective medicines in 2014, the number of people being treated continues to increase. Today, 32 dedicated treatment centres are providing treatment at the Government's expense.

In September this year, countries will have the opportunity to share best practice at the first-ever World Hepatitis Summit to be held in Glasgow, Scotland. It is all up to us how we understand and take action to get cure or stay away from the disease. As it is a health and prevention is available, so our choice and action must be prevention of the diseases.

In addition to hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A and E viruses also cause viral hepatitis. These two viruses are primarily transmitted through contact with contaminated food and water and are responsible for less than 1% of all hepatitis-related deaths. We must be aware about the diseases and keep ourselves free and safe from the same.

As the theme suggest it's up to us to prevent hepatitis and together we can make it happen.