Forum urges for treatment policy
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 08 2014: The Hepatitis Forum Manipur has urged the Government to find out the number of people infected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) and formulate a treatment policy.

Talking with media persons at Hotel Tampha today, Hepatitis Forum Manipur president RK Tiken mortality rate of people infected with HCV and co-infected by HCV and HIV has been rising rapidly in the State.

Out of 100 injecting drug users tested for HCV, 80 were found positive.

But the total number of HCV positive people has not been estimated and the State Government has no policy for their treatment.

There are many complications in the treatment of people co-infected by HCV and HIV and it is very costly.

As such, majority of the patients could not afford proper treatment, Tiken said.

Unlike HIV virus which cannot survive in open environment even for a couple of minutes, hepatitis C virus can survive in open environment for a week.

HIV can be controlled by ARV treatment but there is no mechanism for controlling HCV till date.

Hepatitis Forum Manipur president L Deepak said that hepatitis C virus is not fully curable.

Although HCV is spreading like an epidemic in Manipur, the Government of India has been little attention in the absence any initiative from the side of the State Government.

The Government of India has various public health policies including TB policy, bird flu programme etc but there is no policy for hepatitis C virus and it only reflects Government's apathy, he decried.

Quoting recommendations of the consultation programme held at Hotel Tampha on January 7 and 8, RK Tiken demanded incorporation of hepatitis C virus in the National Blood-Bone Diseases Control Programme.

Review of the existing State HIV policy and incorporation of HCV in the revised policy, inclusion of hepatitis C virus medicines in the National Essential Medicines List of India 2011, extension of RSBY benefits to HCV positive people belonging to BPL category, extension of monetary assistance to HCV positive people under the Manipur State Illness Assistance Fund and organisation of extensive awareness programmes on HCV were some of the recommendations adopted at the consultation programme, Tiken conveyed.

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