Prevalence of hepatitis C virus among people who inject drugs and their partners in Manipur stands at 43 pc: CoNE
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 16 2019: Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE) organised a one-day State level media sensitization workshop on present trend of Hepatitis C at The Classic Grande, Imphal today.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) .

The virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

The hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus and the most common modes of infection are through exposure to small quantities of blood.

This may happen through injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, and the transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products.

Globally, an estimated 71 million people have chronic hepatitis C infection.

A significant number of those who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Approximately 3,99,000 people die each year from hepatitis C, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, according to a data of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

About 15�45% of infected persons spontaneously clear the virus within 6 months of infection without any treatment.

The remaining 60�80% of persons will develop chronic HCV infection.

Of those with chronic HCV infection, the risk of cirrhosis of the liver is between 15�30% within 20 years.

Symptoms: The incubation period for hepatitis C is 2 weeks to 6 months.

Following initial infection, approximately 80% of people do not exhibit any symptoms.

Those who are acutely symptomatic may exhibit fever, fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, grey-coloured faeces, joint pain and jaundice (yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes).

Antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of persons with hepatitis C infection, thereby reducing the risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis, but access to diagnosis and treatment is low.

There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, however research in this area is ongoing.

Populations at increased risk of HCV infection include: People who inject drugs, people who use intranasal drugs, recipients of infected blood products or invasive procedures in health-care facilities with inadequate infection control practices, children born to mothers infected with HCV, people with sexual partners who are HCV-infected, people with HIV infection, prisoners or previously incarcerated persons and people who have had tattoos or piercings.

According to CoNE, the prevalence of HCV among people who inject drugs (PWID) and their partners in the State has been recorded at 43%.CoNE had initiated a HCV serological study to produce a State wide authentic HCV prevalence data among the PWID and their partners in partnership with Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and BABINA Diagnostics in 2018 with the approval of ethical clearance from Research Ethics Board (REB) .

Even though the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India had launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) on the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day, July 28, 2018, the required information has not reached the general public.

Many myths and misinformation about hepatitis still persists among the general population as well as among the healthcare providers, said CoNE.

Media should play an important role in talking about viral hepatitis and hepatitis C issues so that people are informed.

It should become a platform for advocacy to address issue surrounding viral hepatitis in general and hepatitis C in particular, its myths and misconceptions, Government's insensitivity towards the issue, stigma and discrimination associated with it, said CoNE president Nalikanta RK.

People should voluntarily come forward and undergo the hepatitis C test for immediate and early treatment, he said.

The media sensitization workshop was supported by Coalition PLUS.

Comment