World Hepatitis Day: ‘Take action, test, treat, vaccinate’
Advertisements By Dr. Amiya Ranjan World Hepatitis Day is observed annually on 28th July and is dedicated to raising awareness about viral hepatitis and the problems that it can cause. The 28th of July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. The theme of this year’s World Hepatitis Day is “Take Action. Test, treat, vaccinate”. What is hepatitis? Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and noninfectious agents (alcohol, certain medicines, fatty liver) leading to a range of health problems, some of which can be fatal. There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. While they all cause liver disease, they differ in important ways including modes of transmission, severity of the illness, geographical distribution and prevention methods. Disease burden Hepatitis B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths. An estimated 354 million persons are living with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) or C (HCV) virus infection. Half the burden of chronic hepatitis B and C is among people 30–54 years old and 12% among children under 18 years of age. Symptoms: Some cases have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include yellow skin or eyes (jaundice), nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue and fever. What we can do- Some types of hepatitis are preventable through vaccination. A WHO study found that an estimated 4.5 million premature deaths could be prevented in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 through vaccination, diagnostic tests, medicines and education campaigns. Prevention: a)Avoidtaking substances that can be potentially toxic to the liver like alcohol, certain herbal supplements Take over the counter medicines in correct dose. Avoid taking medicines without prescription. b)Ensuringproper diet and adequate exercise for prevention of fatty c)Immunisationagainst Hepatitis B and Hepatitis Ensure a protective titre level esp. for personnel at risk for transmission. d)Safesexual practices e)Postexposure prophylaxis f)Providingvaccine and immunoglobulin to babies born to Hepatitis B positive mothers g)Avoidinggetting tattoos, ear piercing, blood transfusion etc from unreliable sources h)Stoppinginjectable drug abuse i)Avoidgetting injections from quacks and unreliable sources Testing a)Testingof all pregnant women for hepatitis b and c b)Earlytesting of symptomatic individuals c)Routinetesting of people who are at risk of exposure Treatment Ensuring proper and prompt treatment and regular follow up is very important. Hepatitis B: Most people who get hepatitis B recover shortly on (Author is Specialist, Department of Gastroenterology, Tata Main Hospital, …