Manipur targets to achieve 90% Hepatitis vaccination this year

Our Correspondent

Imphal, July 25 (EMN): Health authorities in Manipur is targeting to achieve 90% Hepatitis vaccination to the new born babies in the state by 2030, to eliminate the spread of Hepatitis, Manipur’s leading Hepatologist Dr. N Suraj said.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Suraj said so far only about 50% of new born babies were vaccinated.

Stating that the Hepatitis B can be prevented completely by vaccination, Dr. Suraj appealed to parents to get their children vaccinated under the universal immunization programme.

“Hepatitis B and C are said to be silent killer as there is no specific symptoms for these diseases. Hepatitis C can be cured completely through proper treatment and care,” he said.

Viral Hepatitis B and C are major health challenges, affecting 325 million people globally, as per World Health Organisation-South East Asia Region Office. About 1.4 million deaths occur due to viral Hepatitis each year in the south-east Asia region and out of this, 81% are attributed to chronic complications of Hepatitis B and C.

“After china, India is the second country with the highest chronic hepatitis infections,” the hepatologist informed.

Nearly 50 million Indians are chronically infected with Hepatitis B and 12-18 million with Hepatitis C, according to National Center for Biotechnology Information.

It is a growing concern in the nation as it is a notoriously contagious virus. If Hepatitis B & C are not treated on time, they can develop into major life-threatening complications of chronic liver diseases-cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. Thus, vaccination and timely initiation of antiviral treatment are very important to control Hepatitis, he said.

Informing that free drugs for Hepatitis vaccines are available at RIMS and JNIMS, he said that these model treatment centres will be opened during the upcoming World Hepatitis Day 2019 on July 27.

“We must encourage the general public to be aware of this highly contagious disease,” the hepatologist said.