36m Indians suffer from Hepatitis-B: Bishnu

[Guest guest]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/36m-indians-suffer-hepatitis-b-bishnu-127

36m Indians suffer from Hepatitis-B: Bishnu

January 4th, 2011

Jan. 3: The number of Indians getting Hepatitis-B and succumbing to the disease

has increased with the country ranking second in the list of countries with the

most Hepatitis-B affected patients, said Prof. Bishnu Pada Chatterjee, emeritus

professor at West Bengal University of Technology.

Speaking to this newspaper on Monday during the Indian Science Congress, Prof

Chatterjee said that about two billion people have been infected with the

disease worldwide of which 36 million are from India. “Hepatitis B and C

infections are major global problems. Of the two billion people infected

worldwide, more than 350 million are chronic carriers of the virus. About five

to 12 lakh people die due to Hepatitis every year. The majority of people

chronically infected with viral hepatitis are living in Asia and the Western

Pacific region,” he added.

Prof. Chatterjee said even though the government had asked all hospitals to test

the blood of donors before transfusing, it was not being followed. “Persons

transfusing blood in hospitals do not have adequate awareness about using

sterilized syringes and blood is not being tested for HIV or hepatitis. These

are the reasons for hepatitis spreading to others and for more people succumbing

to the disease,” he added.

He pointed out that hepatitis-related morbidity and mortality could be greatly

reduced by a dual approach of integrating Hepatitis-B and C vaccines into all

national immunization programmes, besides effectively treating the infection.

*(This last statement is erroneous; there is NO vaccine for Hepatitis C)

[Guest guest]

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/36m-indians-suffer-hepatitis-b-bishnu-127

36m Indians suffer from Hepatitis-B: Bishnu

January 4th, 2011

Jan. 3: The number of Indians getting Hepatitis-B and succumbing to the disease

has increased with the country ranking second in the list of countries with the

most Hepatitis-B affected patients, said Prof. Bishnu Pada Chatterjee, emeritus

professor at West Bengal University of Technology.

Speaking to this newspaper on Monday during the Indian Science Congress, Prof

Chatterjee said that about two billion people have been infected with the

disease worldwide of which 36 million are from India. “Hepatitis B and C

infections are major global problems. Of the two billion people infected

worldwide, more than 350 million are chronic carriers of the virus. About five

to 12 lakh people die due to Hepatitis every year. The majority of people

chronically infected with viral hepatitis are living in Asia and the Western

Pacific region,” he added.

Prof. Chatterjee said even though the government had asked all hospitals to test

the blood of donors before transfusing, it was not being followed. “Persons

transfusing blood in hospitals do not have adequate awareness about using

sterilized syringes and blood is not being tested for HIV or hepatitis. These

are the reasons for hepatitis spreading to others and for more people succumbing

to the disease,” he added.

He pointed out that hepatitis-related morbidity and mortality could be greatly

reduced by a dual approach of integrating Hepatitis-B and C vaccines into all

national immunization programmes, besides effectively treating the infection.

*(This last statement is erroneous; there is NO vaccine for Hepatitis C)