India needs to change its attitude towards Hepatitis C -Governance Now

India needs to change its attitude towards Hepatitis C

In India, the population prevalence of Hepatitis C is around 1 percent, which amounts to an estimated 12 million

Deexa Khanduri | January 30, 2019 | Delhi

#Humsafar Trust #liver #FIND #Hepatitis C #World Health Organisation

It is estimated that between six million to 11 million persons are infected with Hepatitis C annually. In India, the population prevalence of Hepatitis C is around 1 percent, which amounts to an estimated 12 million. This was revealed at the Hepatitis C sensitisation workshop organised by Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostic (FIND) in New Delhi.

Hepatitis C virus is spread via infected blood, body fluids, etc. The virus infects the liver and over time causes scarring of the liver. It’s an inflammation which can be self-limiting or progress, causing liver fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer. It can also be contracted if someone comes in contact with the blood of someone who is affected and through the use of contaminated needles.

“Hepatitis C is a common disease spread via infected blood, body fluids, unprotected sex, etc. But, the societal attitude has not accepted hepatitis C as a common disease and has termed it a disease prevalent among LGBT community or people with open-mind. More awareness programmes needs to break the stereotype around Hepatitis C and people should stop labelling it with a particular community,” says Yashwinder Singh, programme manager, Humsafar Trust.

Dr Sanjay Sarin, Head, FIND India, says, “People connect the Hepatitis C as something more prevalent among people living in northeast area believing northeast has a high number of drug addicts. But, studies have clearly shown that the disease is more prevalent in North India, but, due to lack of studies, a patient dies a silent death of liver failure, without even knowing that he/she was suffering from Hepatitis C.”

The ministry of health affairs has collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to eliminate hepatitis by the 2030 and roll out the national viral hepatitis control programme wherein it has set up the national hepatitis cell at the central-level under the National Health Mission (NHM). Last year, the government declared Hepatitis C test cost-free in all government hospitals, in a private hospital the screening and confirmatory test of hepatitis C can cost anything between Rs 3,500 and Rs 5,000.

“The one who is at the higher risk includes healthcare worker exposed to infected blood, the child born to Hepatitis C-infected mothers and long term dialysis patients. But, we suggest everyone should test themselves with Hepatitis C test because, in more than 50 percent of the cases, the disease shows no symptoms till the last stage. Over 95% of the people with chronic Hepatitis C do know they are infected and therefore succumb to liver cirrhosis or cancer,” says Dr Sarin adding, “The treatment of Hepatitis C involves only 12 weeks medication.”

Only one out of ten people infected with Hepatitis C virus know their status, says Gagandeep Singh Grover, Punjab Hepatitis C programme officer.

“Only ten percent of the infected people know the status of their disease; anything could be the reason behind it. Lack of awareness, cost of medicine, not taking symptoms seriously, but it’s the responsibility of the government, and we’re committed to ending it by 2030,” Grover adds.

Comments

Other News

BMC: 207 officials in ACB net, 112 still on duty, 68 retire before justice catches up

There are significant delays in the handling of corruption cases involving officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a Right to Information (RTI) response obtained by rights activist Jeetendra Ghadge has revealed. As of 30 April 2026, 207 BMC officials face Anti-Corruption Bureau (A

The transformation trap: Why efficiency is not innovation

Every company is transforming, or so it claims. There was a time when the word ‘transformation’ carried weight. It signified bold strategic shifts, reinvention of business models, and breakthrough technologies that fundamentally changed how organizations created

The Sardar biography that throws light on our times

Patel: A Life By Rajmohan Gandhi Aleph Books, 568 pages, Rs 1,199 There are many biographi

Climate change, El Niño rewrite Indian monsoon

The month of July exceeded its rainfall target despite forecasts of a below-normal month under a strengthening El Niño. The reason could be that climate change is amplifying monsoon complexity: West Pacific warming, Western Disturbances and evolving ocean conditions increasingly interact with El Ni&

Mumbai has just 1.28 sq.m. of open space per person: Study

Mumbai`s public space crisis is as much about mismanagement as it is about scarcity, and offers a governance roadmap that can be implemented without new legislation, according to a new report by the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) and the NGO Alliance for Governance and Renewal (NAGAR).

Lok Sabha passes amendment bill to improve public examination system

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 by a voice vote after an extensive discussion. Replying to the debate, minister of state (independent charge) for science & technology; earth sciences and MoS in the PMO, Dr. Jite