Viral hepatitis - A cause for major healthcare burden in India

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Viral hepatitis is a growing concern in India and is recently equated as a threat comparable to the “big three” communicable diseases – HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. While we continue our fight against COVID-19, let’s not forget that, hepatitis too can’t wait!  

Hepatitis, referred to as inflammation of the liver, can be caused due to alcohol abuse, medications, and certain medical conditions. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus; and the most common types viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Viral hepatitis can lead to severe liver disease including hepatocellular cancer. A global health concern, hepatitis-related illness, claims one life, every 30 seconds!  

Viral hepatitis is a cause for major healthcare burden in India and is recently equated as a threat comparable to the “big three” communicable diseases – HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.

The Government of India launched a new National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) on World Hepatitis Day, 28 July 2018. It is an integrated approach for prevention and control of viral hepatitis, with a view to provide free of charge screening, diagnosis, treatment and counseling services to all, and specially to people belonging to high-risk groups to achieve SDG goal 3.3 which aims ending viral hepatitis by 2030 as envisaged in National Health Policy 2017.

Know the different types

While Hepatitis A and E are mostly caused by the intake of contaminated food and water, Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur after coming in contact with infected blood and body fluids. In India, out of all the types, Hepatitis B and C are the most common ones to be detected. Hepatitis B is said to be very contagious and can be easily transmitted from one person to another through infected blood and some other body fluids.

As per WHO, in India, about 4 crore people are chronically infected with hepatitis B and 60 lakh to 1.2 crore people are chronically infected with hepatitis C. According to the Indian Journal of Medical Research, in India, about 2.5 lakh people die of viral hepatitis or its sequelae every year. 

Awareness is the key

For a country as big as India, with a population of 130 crore, there are several lakhs of people who do not have access to testing facilities for viral hepatitis. Hence, it is more important than ever to spread awareness about this viral disease. Especially when the world is battling with a deadly outbreak of novel coronavirus, it is important to manage the existing health risks to reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare system.

It must be stated here that the key objectives of the NVHCP launched in 2018 emphasize on enhancing community awareness and lay stress on preventive measures among general population especially high-risk groups and in hotspots.

  • Provide early diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis at all levels of healthcare
  • Develop diagnostic and treatment protocols for management of viral hepatitis & its complications.
  • Strengthen the existing infrastructure facilities, build capacities of existing human resource, and add human resources, for providing comprehensive services for management of viral hepatitis all districts.
  • Develop linkages with the existing National programs
  • Develop a web-based “Viral Hepatitis Information and Management System” to maintain a registry of persons affected with viral hepatitis and its sequelae.

Hepatitis Can't Wait

To convey the urgency of efforts needed to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 and raise awareness of viral hepatitis, WHO is calling on all countries to work together to eliminate viral hepatitis. Hence, the theme for this year’s World Hepatitis Day is Hepatitis Can't Wait.

Moreover, since symptoms of hepatitis are innately similar to that of flu, it is known to have impacted the testing for viral hepatitis amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Further, almost 90% of people living with viral hepatitis are unaware that they have it. Therefore, testing for viral hepatitis can’t wait!

Test and Treat

Massive testing for Hepatitis is the need of the hour. Governments and organizations across the globe have started initiatives wherein testing can be made available to everyone easily. A case in point is the launch of WHO guidelines on hepatitis C virus self-testing.

In India, Punjab introduced free testing and treatment of Hepatitis B. Further, several indigenous In Vitro Diagnostics companies in India have been offering testing solutions over multiple platforms such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests (RDT) and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd, the leader in Indian IVD space, has been offering rapid testing solutions like ErbaQik HBsAg and ErbaQik HCV to laboratories for reliable results. The company also provides laboratories with a wide range of Hepatitis ELISA range which includes ErbaLisa SEN HBsAg, ErbaLisa Pico HBsAg and ErbaLisa HCV gen3. The ErbaLisa Range for hepatitis B has the shortest assay time of 75 mins, which is the need of the hour for massive testing. In addition to saving time, the EbaLisa Range of products have analytical sensitivities of 0.1 ng/ml from ErbaLisa Sen HBsAg and <50 pg/ml for ErbaLisa pico HBsAg which provides the end-users with unmatched confidence for the detection of HBsAg. Soon, Transasia Bio-Medicals will be introducing ErbaLisa HCV 4th gen which will be India’s first indigenously manufactured kit for the detection of both antigen and antibodies.

Such initiatives will surely boost the testing rate and ensure that no one has to live with hepatitis without knowing about it. With periodic screening, a hepatitis-free future is achievable with a united effort.

 

Authored by:

Aditya Patil

Asst. Product Manager (Immunology)

Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd



 

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