Deliberations held on spread, treatment of Hep C
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 26 2013 :
A discussion programme on Hepatitis C was held today under the aegis of the Society for HIV/AIDS Lifeline Operation in Manipur (SALOM) at their Chura-chandpur office.
Resource persons speaking at the programme said that both people and the Government seem little concerned about Hepatitis C even though it has already assumed the form of a public health issue.
Many people who are either co-infected with HIV and Hepatitis or infected with Hepatitis C alone have been enduring serious risks because they are not aware about the infection or they do not have money for necessary treatment.
One female injecting drug user who spoke at the discussion programme said that she has limited knowledge about Hepatitis C although she heard him people talking about it sometimes.
She conveyed her desire to conduct mass awareness programmes about Hepatitis C as done in the case of HIV/AIDS.
Narrating about her own experience, the female injecting drug user said that she realised her status of being HIV positive
in 2006 .
By that time, she had suspicions if she had been infected with Hepatitis C too.
It was only after several years she went for Hepatitis C test at the insistence of her friends, and as suspected she was found to be Hepatitis C positive.
"However, even after knowing that I was Hepatitis C positive, I could not go for necessary treatment", she said.
"I have no idea how Hepatitis C virus affects human body or any of its precautionary measures", she confided.
Saying that treatment of Hepatitis C seemed to be very costly as some people were overheard talking about it, the female drug user disclosed that she has given up any plan to go for medical treatment even after knowing she is Hepatitis C positive for she cannot afford the medical expenditures.
Many of the injecting drugs users just resign to their own fates even if they suspect themselves to be Hepatitis C positive without even going for tests for they do not have the money required for treatment.
Another drug user said that he too did not go Hepatitis C for a long time after knowing that he was HIV positive.
It was only after learning that one NGO was collecting drug samples from drug users by paying Rs 100 each at Churachandpur that he went forward for the blood test just to get the sum of Rs 100.It was after this blood test he was found Hepatitis C positive.
But like his fellow drug user, no medical treatment has been initiated so far.
He hoped that the Government makes some arrangement under which Hepatitis C infection can be treated free of cost like ART drugs are given free of cost.