Consultative meet on hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 10 2013 : A consultative meet for media persons on hepatitis C virus (HCV) was held today at Manipur Press Club here under the aegis of the Community Network for Empowerment (CNE) .

Speaking at the meeting, CNE president RK Nalinikanta said that the programme was being organised to bring up the issue of HCV as a public issue.

Citing some studies done in Manipur, Nalinikanta said that the rate of co-infection by both HIV and HCV among injecting drug users is as high as 75 per cent.

Usually, people living with HCV for a long time develop liver problems and ultimately got infected by liver cirrhosis.

Manipur Network of Positive People president L Deepak said that it is best for HCV positive people to start treatment when their health condition has not started deteriorating.

For people co-infected by HIV and HCV, they should undergo treatment for one year.

As for people infected by HCV alone, six months' treatment is enough, he said.

But treatment for HCV infection costs Rs three lakhs to five lakhs.

This is a huge burden to poor HCV infected persons and their families.

"I was confirmed HIV positive in 1994 and then in 2006 I became HCV positive but I could not go for treatment in spite of doctor's advice that I cannot live long without going for the treatment" .

"It was much later I went for HCV treatment with the help of my family and friends", Deepak said.

During this one year of treatment, HCV positive people feel reduced eye sight, drying muscles, loss of appetite, nausea, fever, exhaustion etc, and most of the HCV drugs cause side effects.

Hepatitis B has vaccine but there is no vaccine for hepatitis C .

There is a list of drugs/medicines identified by the Government of India but HCV drug is not included in the list.

Whereas those medicines included in the list are priced at affordable rates besides keeping a close watch on their qualities, HCV drug is very costly being a patented medicine.

Manipur University Associate Professor Chinglen Maisnam presented a paper on socio-economic background of people living with HCV while JNIMS nodal officer Dr K Priyokumar spoke on the topic 'Treatment of HCV in Manipur' .

AMWJU president A Mobi assured that media would extend all possible assistance in tackling the issue of HCV.

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