Ignorance Biggest Worry In Fight Against Hepatitis-B

Bhubaneswar: Hepatitis-B, one of the five variants of the viral infection affecting the liver, is a dreaded killer but ignorance about availability of a preventive vaccine that ensures life-long protection against the virus is the biggest worrying factor, experts said here on Saturday.

“Though it is a killer, the good news is that Hepatitis-B can be prevented. A vaccine, with outstanding record of safety and effectiveness, is available since 1982, a single shot of which can ensure lifelong protection against the infection,” said Dr. Manoj Kumar Sahu, Head of the department of Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary Diseases at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital.

Dr. Sahu was speaking at a programme organized to mark the World Hepatitis Day. It was jointly organized by the SOA (Deemed to be University) and Odisha state unit of Bharat Scouts and Guides. The day is observed on the birthday of Nobel laureate Prof. Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis-B virus and also developed the vaccine, he said.

Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, who was the chief guest, underlined the need for creating public awareness against the dreaded virus. “This is the biggest need,” the minister said.

Tejeswar Parida, Chairman of the Odisha Khadi and Gramodyog Board, Jyoti Mishra, film personality, Prof. Gangadhar Sahu, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, Dr. Pushparaj Samantasinhar, Medical Superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital, Dr. Ayashkanta Singh, Gastroenterologist and Ram Murti Dora, Secretary of the state unit of Bharat Scouts and Guides, also spoke.

Hepatitis-B kills more people in a day than HIV does in a year, but the latter has got into the public psyche as a much bigger threat, Dr. Sahu said, adding an estimated 300 million people had been infected by Hepatitis-B worldwide.

“The biggest concern is that 95 per cent of the affected population don’t know that they are carrying a deadly virus which causes permanent liver damage,” he said pointing out that the Hepatitis types B and C cause serious liver damage leading to liver cirrhosis (scarring), liver failure and cancer.

Explaining that there were five main Hepatitis viruses — types A, B, C, D and E, Dr. Sahu said A and E were transmitted by ingestion of contaminated food and water while B, C and D usually entered the body through contact with blood and infected body fluids, the same route as HIV. “But Hepatitis-B is 100 times more infectious than HIV,” he said.

The Hepatitis-B vaccine can prevent 300,000 cancer deaths every year and early diagnosis provided the best opportunity for effective medical support and prevention of further spread, he said, adding SOA had designed a programme, SOA-Adivasi Hepatitis Mission, for Hepatitis-B screening and immunization among tribal children in the state.

Dr. Sahu said the theme for this year was ‘Eliminate Hepatitis—Find the Missing Millions’ which aimed at identifying the infected people who were not aware of their condition. “The need is to find these people, treat them, cure them and prevent infection in other healthy people. Taking action now will save seven million lives by 2030,” he said.

Parida said it was surprising that people were not worried about Hepatitis-B though it was 100 times more infectious than HIV. He praised SUM Hospital for the proactive role it was playing to fight Hepatitis-B.

Prof. Sahu said no one should dread the Hepatitis-B infection anymore since the preventive vaccine is available. “Eradication of the infection is possible,” he said.

Dr. Samantasinhar said immunization was the only way to fight the infection.

Earlier, several hundred scout and guide cadets took out a rally carrying placards which read: ‘Eliminate Hepatitis, Find the Missing Millions’. A Hepatitis-B screening and immunization camp was organized at the venue by SUM Hospital, where a large number of cadets and members of public were screened and immunized.