EMN
Dimapur, July 24
400 million people are living with hepatitis B or C across the world and every year about 1.4 million people die from viral hepatitis. Infection from these viruses results in approximately 4,000 deaths every day.
The Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research of Dimapur will be organizing a free health seminar and a screening camp for the public on July 29. The events will commence from 7:00 am and culminate at 3:00 pm at the Supermarket Complex in Dimapur. The same event will be conducted at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research on July 30 for staff members and patients.
“This event is to mark the World Hepatitis Day which is set aside to provide an opportunity for education and greater understanding of viral hepatitis as a global public health problem and to stimulate the strengthening of preventive and control measures of this disease by people and nations around the world,” stated Dr. Atsung Aier, senior consultant of the institute’s community health department
“Worldwide 400 million people are living with hepatitis B or C. Every year 1.4 million people die from viral hepatitis and yet all of these deaths could be prevented. Infection from these viruses results in approximately 4,000 deaths every day,” the organizers said.
“These viruses are transmitted through contaminated water and food, as well as by contact with blood or bodily fluids, through unsafe injections or transfusions. Infection also occurs from a mother to a child, or through sexual contact. Infection through all these routes of transmission can be prevented through proven and effective interventions. It is important for everyone to be aware of hepatitis and to learn how they can protect themselves from being infected”.
The theme for the event for this year is ‘Prevent Hepatitis, Act now.’ The chief medical officer of Dimapur, Dr. Wati, will be attending the event as well. The screening camp for hepatitis will be conducted for all adults in the Supermarket on July 29, the organizers stated.
In 2010 the World Health Organization made World Hepatitis Day one of only 4 official disease-specific world health days, to be celebrated each year on the 28th July. Millions of people across the world now take part in World Hepatitis Day, to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, and to call for access to treatment, better prevention programs and government action.Citizens’’ Factfile: Basic Facts About Hepatitis A, B, and C
Hepatitis is considered one of the world’s most prevalent health problems. The World Health Organization reports that 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A are treated annually worldwide. In the United States, close to 5 million adults have hepatitis B or C, and this may be only a small percentage of the total of infected individuals.
Hepatitis A:
Hepatitis A (HAV), the most prevalent type of hepatitis worldwide, strikes more than 150,000 people in the United States annually.
Hepatitis B:
Each year, more than 250,000 people contract hepatitis B (HBV) in the United States.
Hepatitis C:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 30,000 individuals acquire hepatitis C (HCV) infections in the United States each year. In other parts of the world, the rates of infection and numbers in infected individuals range as high as 20 percent of the population. Called “an emerging public health threat” and the “silent epidemic,” hepatitis C is a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and is now the leading reason for liver transplantation in the United States.
Major risk factors for hepatitis A, B, and C
HEPATITIS A
• Person-to-person contact
• Poor personal hygiene
• Poor sanitation
• Unsafe sexual practices
• Employment of contact with day care centers and healthcare institutions such as nursing homes
• Street drug use
HEPATITIS B
• Hemodialysis
• Patients of custodial institutions for developmentally disabled
• Exposure to blood/blood clot products
• Needle-stick injury
• Sexual activity with multiple (heterosexual or homosexual) partners
• IV drug use
• Infants of HBV-positive mothers
• Tattooing
• Body piercing
HEPATITIS C
• Hemophilia
• Hemodialysis
• Organ transplant
• IV drug use
• Blood transfusion prior to 1992
• Needle-stick injury
• Tattooing
• Body piercing
• Sexual activity with multiple partners
About 40 percent of people with hepatitis C have a history of IV drug use. Another 40 percent do not know the source of infection. The remaining 20 percent of hepatitis C cases may be attributed to household contact with a person known to have hepatitis, sexual contact with multiple partners, transfusion-associated disease, or occupational exposure (source: natap.org)
