Hong Kong Family Planning Association - Hepatitis B

StephenW

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=113760&sid=33254019&con_type=1
Specter of hepatitis B rears its head again

Mary Ann Benitez

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Pregnant mainland mothers and sexually active locals are driving a hepatitis B epidemic in the territory, according to the Hong Kong Family Planning Association.

This is despite an immunization program that has freed children in the SAR from the virus, which can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.

Hong Kong launched its childhood immunization program for hepatitis B in 1988.

According to the association, about 25 percent of those with chronic hepatitis B will die from liver cancer or cirrhosis by the age of 40-50.

The association screens at least 10,000 people annually for hepatitis B in its premarital and pre- pregnancy service programs. The proportion found to be hepatitis B carriers initially declined from 9.6 percent in 1990 to 5.1 percent in 2001, said association executive director Susan Fan Yun-sun.

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But carrier rates rose to 6.9 percent in 2002 and have remained in the 6-7 percent range. Last year the rate was 6.5 percent, she said.

"These are all premarital and pre-pregnancy people who are in their late 20s and early 30s and have not benefited from the 1988 vaccination program," Fan said.

Nancy Leung Wai-yee, honorary medical consultant of the Hong Kong Family Planning Association's Hepatitis B Assessment Clinic, said the influx of mainland mothers also had an impact on the trend of the disease.

The virus can be transmitted at birth, through blood and intercourse.

"The hepatitis B vaccination program for newborn infants in the mainland leaves a lot to be desired. As a result the World Health Organization has repeatedly revised and set new targets for them," Leung said.

A project undertaken by AsiaHep Hong Kong, in collaboration with Tuen Mun Hospital, found that the prevalence of hepatitis B in children born in the mainland is 2-3 percent. Leung said from 2003 to 2009, no local child up to the age of 14 was found to carry the virus, and from 2007-09 no more than nine in the 15-24 age group were infected each year.

But in sexually active groups between the ages of 25-34 and 35-44, the number of cases has remained in the double digits, ranging from 13 to 49 each year from 1995 to 2009.

"Hepatitis B is still a sexual and reproductive health issue. The pre-pregnancy and  premarital age groups still seem to be an area of concern," Fan said.  

StephenW

乙肝再次出现头

玛丽安贝尼特斯

，2011年08月03日（星期三）

孕内地的母亲和性行为活跃的当地人驾驶在全港B型肝炎疫情，根据香港计划生育协会。

这是，尽管已经摆脱特区从病毒，可导致肝硬化，肝癌和死亡的儿童免疫程序。

香港在1988年推出了其童年的乙肝疫苗接种计划。

据该协会，慢性乙型肝炎的约25％将死于肝癌或肝硬化的40-50岁。

该协会屏B型肝炎，每年至少有10000人在婚前和孕前服务计划。协会执行主任苏珊犯晕孙说，最初发现是乙肝病毒携带者的比例在2001年下降，从1990年的9.6％到5.1％。

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但带菌率上升到6.9％，2002年都保持在6-7％的范围内。她说，去年率为6.5％。

“这些都是婚前和孕前的人是在20年代末和30年代初，并没有从1988年的疫苗接种计划中受益，”范说。

香港计划生育协会的B型肝炎评估中心名誉顾问医生，梁炜颐，南希说，涌入内地母亲也有一个对发病率的趋势影响。

出生时，该病毒可传染通过血液和性交。

“在内地的新生儿乙肝疫苗接种计划，留下了许多不足之处，因此世界卫生组织已多次修订，并为他们设置了新的目标，”梁说。

由AsiaHep香港屯门医院合作开展的一个项目，发现B型肝炎在内地所生子女的患病率是2-3％。梁说，从2003年至2009年，没有当地的儿童到14岁被发现携带病毒，从2007-09在15-24岁年龄组不超过九个每年感染。

但在25-34岁及35-44岁之间性活跃的群体，案件数量一直保持在两位数，范围从13到49从1995年至2009年每年。

“乙型肝炎仍然是一个性与生殖健康问题。孕前和婚前年龄组似乎仍是一个令人关注的领域，”范说。