Hepatitis: More Dangerous than AIDS

liver411

Fri Dec 7 08:12:00 PST 2001

Hepatitis: More Dangerous than AIDS  





At a time when AIDS and HIV is hogging all the attention, hepatitis B remains neglected, even though experts feel that the hepatitis virus may be more dangerous than HIV.



In order to create awareness about the condition, the Union Health Minister Dr. C.P. Thakur, declared December 4 as the National Hepatitis Awareness Day, which will be observed every year from next year. A pilot project on hepatitis B vaccination was carried out in 32 districts and 15 cities at a cost of Rs. 30 crore. This would now be extended to all districts.



The Hepatitis B virus is potentially more dangerous than HIV, and the problem is compounded because of lack of awareness about the disease. Alarmingly, more people die of Hepatitis infection in a day than of AIDS in a year in India. It takes a smaller amount of blood to transmit the Hepatitis B virus that has the ability to withstand extreme variations in temperature.



Figures reveal that the national prevalence rate for Hepatitis B is 4.7% in India as against a rate of 1% for AIDS. More than 45 million people are reportedly currently infected with the Hepatitis B virus while more than 15 million are infected with Hepatitis C. Many infected patients are not even aware of being carriers of the virus. Experts believe that there is an urgent need to educate the public about the disease to be able to take protective steps against it.



Viral hepatitis B & C is caused by hepatitis A, B, C, D, E & G viruses. Of these, hepatitis B and C are more important as they lead to more illness and death. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through infected body fluids like saliva, blood and genital secretions. The infection may spread from one person to another by sharing blood stained razors and needles. Tattooing, contaminated blood transfusions and unsafe sex can also transmit the infection. Practising safe sex and observing hygienic habits may help in preventing the infection. Vaccination for hepatitis B is available and should be taken by all, if they can afford it.



Following WHO directions, almost 120 countries worldwide have included Hepatitis B vaccination in their national immunisation programmes, but this still remains to be done in India, as the cost of vaccination is still very high.



UNI

Friday, December 07, 2001

NDTV, India

liver411

引用:

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原文由 liver411 发表: ...declared December 4 as the National Hepatitis Awareness Day, which will be observed every year from next year...

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Isn't this ringing a bell? I sincerely hope that Chinese goverment is too waking up and following the foot steps of India, a populated country with very low poverty level.

medline

Because of the vaccination program, now HBV is less dangerous in our next generation.



In fact.

Now HIV is really dangerous in China now.

liver411, have you heard that in some villages of north China,

most of the folks were infected by HIV.

The reason of this is poverty.

When the folks sold their blood to illegal person,they use the same pipe and syringe .then they were infected by HIV because of blood transmitment years ago.

Now the danger of HIV are becoming more and more clear.

This isn't rumor, even the government directed media have reports now.

medline

your english is pretty good.

welcome to join the discussion here