World Hepatitis Day 2020: ‘One health crisis shouldn’t overshadow another’

Our Correspondent
Kohima, July 28 (EMN): On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, health activists in Nagaland have expressed concern that the Covid-19 crisis has diverted attention from other health issues and have called for accessibility.

This was raised in a virtual press conference on ‘access to treatment for viral Hepatitis C in Nagaland’ on Tuesday in Kohima, initiated by ARK (Access to Rights and Knowledge) Foundation in collaboration with Nagaland User’s Network (NUN) and Kripa Foundation, Nagaland.

Highlighting the significance of World Hepatitis Day, the director of Kripa Foundation, Abou Mere, said it is observed annually on July 28 to raise awareness on viral hepatitis disease, an infection of the liver that causes a number of health problems, and claims lives.

Mere maintained that India had launched the world’s largest viral hepatitis control programme on July 28, 2018 as its target for sustainable development goal (SDG) in combating the disease.

Lamenting the affairs in the state, he said, “I do not see the required sustained commitment and action from all stakeholders, state government, Health department, CSOs, NGOs or even the affected communities and high-risk groups in response to viral hepatitis.”

He stated that due to the absence of a surveillance system or independent studies in the state, the burden of Hepatitis C (HCV) disease is unknown.

“In the context of Nagaland, though not much independent studies are available, data of the integrated bio behavioural assessment study among injecting drug users from two districts, Phek and Wokha showed prevalence rates of 8.7% and 20.8 % respectively,” said Mere.

Pointing out a study conducted on the burden of Hepatitis C by the Centre for AIDS Hopkins University (JHU) and YRG Care Chennai, Mere said, “Dimapur town has 9.1% prevalence of HCV, which was published in the Lancet Journal in 2014.”

He also shared that the independent studies of JHU and YRG are still ongoing in Dimapur. Further he expressed concern that there is no co-ordination between many doctors and nurses and they are unable to provide information in relation to viral hepatitis programmes.

Mere observed that many of those infected with Hepatitis C will be unaware, and may go undiagnosed and untreated, posing a risk of further transmission. He however maintained that treatments for Hepatitis C are evolving rapidly. He stated that ‘no one should die with a treatable/ curable disease or get infected, which is preventable’.

He also urged for concerted efforts to raise awareness on viral hepatitis and put an end to all forms of discrimination, and make diagnostic and treatment easily accessible to people suffering from it.

Meanwhile, the president of ARK Foundation, Ketho Angami, maintained that viral hepatitis has always remained neglected over the past decades, without any government-initiated programmes, until 2018 with the national viral hepatitis control programme.

However, he maintained that the programme did not take off in an ‘aggressive manner’; amidst the prevailing situation, it was further worsened with the Covid-19 crisis that has threatened to derail the programme across the country.

He asserted that one particular health crisis should not overshadow another health crisis and said the pandemic should be addressed with equal priority. “However, this hasn’t been the case across the country, and more so in Nagaland,” he said.

Angami pointed out that the district hospitals, which are expected to have a treatment for viral Hepatitis B and C, have been converted to Covid-19 care hospitals and have been labelled as “sealed area”. Such restrictions of entry to the hospitals have deterred people from availing the services, he said.

He also stated that the entire health machinery has been focused on addressing the containment and treatment of Covid-19 and has derailed other health issues.

“This has resulted in the total absence of any medical workforce in the hospitals to address the needs of people who desire to get tested and treated for viral Hepatitis B and C,” he stated.

Angami appealed to the government to restore the state viral hepatitis control programme in the state.

“The right to health is as fundamental as civil rights. It should not be a privilege. We are not asking to be given more attention to that of Covid-19 but we shouldn’t be treated with less priority,” he added.