People wait for medical examinations at the 175 Military Hospital in HCM City. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City targets to reduce the rate of
hepatitis in children under five years old to less than 0.5%,
and prevent of the hepatitis B virus by 2050.
The southern city will strive to eliminate the transmission of the hepatitis B
virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) that take place in health facilities
and through blood transfusions, according to a plan on viral hepatitis
prevention for the 2022-2025 period issued recently by the municipal People’s
Committee.
It will also reduce the transmission of HBV and HCV among drug users, the
transmission of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) through the
gastrointestinal tract, and cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and death
relating to viral hepatitis B and C.
According to the World Health Organization, Vietnam is among the countries that
suffer the most from viral hepatitis B and C.
Around 40,000 people die of liver cancer each year in the country. Untreated
and C viruses are the leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer,
according to the Ministry of Health.
However, lack of knowledge about the disease leads people to hide it, causing a
major barrier in hepatitis treatment and prevention.
Vaccination is considered an effective prevention, and an education programme
on the importance of vaccines should be carried out, experts said.
There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and B, but there is no vaccine for
hepatitis C.
The rate of hepatitis B in HCM City is 15% of the city’s population. The
prevalence of hepatitis C is about 1.5%.
Results from an epidemiological survey implemented on 810 samples in the city
showed that the rate of chronic hepatitis B infection is 9.3%, and chronic
hepatitis C infection is 0.3%.
Statistics from the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases showed that an
average of 800 patients are examined for liver diseases daily, of which,
hepatitis B accounts for 60%, and hepatitis C accounts for 14%.
To achieve the above objectives, the city will focus on increasing vaccination
against hepatitis B for children, and
improve the professional capacity of grassroots health workers on prevention,
diagnosis, treatment and management of viral hepatitis./.
Source: VietnamPlus
