Mandaviya directed states to launch a Jan Abhiyaan to enthuse and engage citizens and communities for prevention, testing, and treatment of the disease to to ensure a hepatitis-free India.
Underlining the challenges in the diagnosis of hepatitis in early stages, Mandaviya highlighted the importance of early detection for timely treatment.
India's covid management learning has demonstrated that test, trace and treat strategy worked well. Most people remain unaware of hepatitis at early stages, as either they have no symptoms or there are such symptoms on the basis of which it is difficult to diagnose the disease. To allay this, and to reduce the burden of disease among the community, there is a need to screen high-risk groups including family members of hepatitis B patients and those who have received or are receiving repeated blood transfusions, are on dialysis, are infected with HIV or who are immune are compromised, Madanviya said.
“The number of deaths from Hepatitis B in a day is more than the number of deaths from HIV in a year. Therefore, over the years, viral hepatitis B and C have become a global health problem and significant cause of death. Around 4000 people die of viral hepatitis a day in the world. About 40 million people in India are suffering from Hepatitis B and C infection," he said.
Vice president Venkaiah Naidu along with speaker of Lok Sabha Om Birla chaired an event to sensitise lawmakers about hepatitis.
He also suggested everyone to work in a mission mode to eradicate hepatitis and make it a Jan Andolan by adopting a three-pronged approach of prevention, testing and treatment.
