Workshop sensitises on Hep-B prevalence
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2025: Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) organised a dissemination workshop on "Comparison of Serological Immune Response to Hepatitis B Vaccine Following Rapid or Standard Regimen in People who Inject Drugs" at Hotel Classic Grande, Imphal today.

The workshop was held based on the study report published by CoNE in association with Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPIMS), Lucknow; Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS); Babina Diagnostics and Treat Asian on Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology.

The inaugural ceremony was graced by Head of Hepatology Department of SGPIMS Dr Amit Goel, JNIMS Medical Superintendent Dr Kh Lokeshwar and Visiting Professor of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi Dr BB Rewari as presidium members.

Delivering the keynote address, CoNE president Nalikanta Rajkumar shed light on the alarming global prevalence of hepatitis-B, affecting approximately 126 million people worldwide.

At least one person dies from hepatitis-B every 30 seconds, he said.

He said that WHO had in 2012 recommended administering the Hepatitis-B Vaccine (HBV) to injecting drug users on an accelerated schedule of 0, 7, and 21 days (rapid regimen), deviating from the standard norm of 0, 1, and 6 months (standard regimen).

The WHO recommendation, however, is not implemented as there is no proof of health benefits of administering three doses of HPV in 21 days, he added.

Saying that they did a study on the WHO recommendation by administering three doses of HPV in 21 days on 567 people who inject drugs, he added that the results showed comprehensive health benefits from the accelerated vaccination (rapid regimen) .

He said that the efficacy of standard regimen on injecting drug users was comparably lower.

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