Physicians up-skilled on HBV prevention, treatment
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 31 2022: A day-long orientation programme for medical officers on 'screening, vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of Viral Hepatitis B' was held at Classic Hotel, North AOC, here on Wednesday.

The programme was organised with an aim to orient physicians on screening, prevention, vaccination, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B virus and also to increase the prescriber base for its treatment, which will increase testing and treatment uptake under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) across the state and finally contribute to the elimination target of viral hepatitis B by 2030 .

Organised by Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) in consultation with Directorate of Health Services and NVHCP, the workshop dissected on topics covering liver, viral hepatitis B, its prevention, testing, diagnosis, management, vaccination and treatment.

It also discussed the present status of NVHCP.

The programme was supported Gilead Sciences.

Medical Superintendent of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) Dr Khumukcham Lokeshore, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) professor of Medicine and Gastroenterologist and nodal officer of Model Treatment Centre-RIMS Dr Karam Romeo and NVHCP state nodal officer Dr RK Rosie were present as resource persons/trainers during the workshop.

Dr Lokeshore spoke on 'natural history of HBV and modes of transmission: causes, symptoms and signs of liver disease and prevention of HBV'; Dr Romeo on 'testing, vaccination and treatment of HBV including co-infected with HIV'; while Dr Rosie deliberated on 'structure, context, objectives, components and targets of NVHCP'.

The workshop was attended by 20 physicians including medical officers, district nodal officers of Treatment Centres, senior medical officers, pathologists and leprosy officers from various district hospitals, primary health centres and community health centres located in Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Ukhrul, Kakching, Noney and Churachandpur districts.

CoNE president RK Nalinikanta and project coordinator Pramod Ningombam, who were also present during the workshop, delivered the keynote address and opening remarks of the programme respectively.

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