40 lakh affected by hepatitis C
Staff Correspondent
Some 40 lakh people or 3 percent of the total population of Bangladesh are suffering from the hepatitis C virus (HCV), speakers at a seminar in Dhaka said yesterday quoting a preliminary report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).More than 17 crore people across the world are suffering from HCV, of which three crore are in India, 1.40 crore in Egypt, 1.10 crore in Pakistan and 40 lakh in the USA, according to WHO. The yearly increase of HCV patients across the world is 30 to 40 lakhs, the speakers also added. These were disclosed at the seminar on 'Mass Awareness to Control Hepatitis-C in Bangladesh' with Professor Mobin Khan, chairman of Department of Hepatology of Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), taking the chair. Presenting a key note paper Professor Mobin said blood transfusion without proper screening, being shaved in men's salons where the blades are used over and over, and intravenous drug using are the main sources of HCV infection. He noted that 25 percent of intravenous drug users and 1.2 percent of blood donors suffer from Hepatitis-C which leads to liver cirrhosis and cancer resulting in death. The Professor also said there is a little possibility of HCV infection through sexual and social behaviours. Similarly he advised the use of disposable syringes during blood tests, compulsory blood screening and avoiding men's salons. Taking part in the panel discussion, BSMMU's Professor Mosharraf Hussain said that due to a mass awareness program, people are much more aware of Hepatitis-B than of HCV, which is why they don't take necessary precautionary measures to prevent its spread. He underscored the necessity of mass a awareness campaign to save people from HCV as no vaccine has yet been invented to counteract its effects. He said that blood screening for HCV is not routinely carried out in most cases in Bangladesh. Professor AKM Khorshed Alam, emphasising the importance of creating a mass awareness, said that treatment of HCV is so expensive that very few people can afford it. It costs between Tk 5 lakh and 8 lakh for treatment in the initial stage of the infection. Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, Managing Director of Roche Bangladesh Ltd, urged the media, doctors and nurses to play a significant role in creating mass awareness about HCV. Professor SAR Chowdhury, Dr Salimur Rahman and Dr Nooruddin Ahmad also took part in the panel discussion. Participants representing the areas of gastroenterology, hepatology, medicine, and blood transmission centres also attended the seminar.
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