Hepatitis B: Only 3 per cent patients aware, experts call for action
Calling the situation a 'silent epidemic", Rajesh Bhushan, former health secretary and chairperson of the Illness to Wellness Foundation, said, 'These are not just statistics. They represent thousands of preventable deaths and an unaddressed public health emergency." Speaking at the 'Illness to Wellness" awareness conference, Bhushan stressed the need for expanded screening, timely birth-dose vaccination, decentralised treatment access, community-level awareness and the use of real-time data, adding that systemic action is essential to curb the spread of hepatitis and meet the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2030 elimination target.
The conference was organised on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.
During the discussion, the panellists highlighted that globally, only 45 per cent of newborns receive the hepatitis-B vaccine within 24 hours — a critical window for prevention.
Dr S K Sarin, Senior Professor, Department of Hepatology, and Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, said the liver is not just a metabolic organ, it also plays a key role in preventing the development of cancers. Today, one in two persons in Delhi and one in three across the country reports persistent fatigue, which may be linked to liver health.
He explained that two viruses — hepatitis A, which typically affects children, and hepatitis E, which affects adults — are both preventable with access to clean water and safe food.
'We can prevent both hepatitis A and E. While there is no vaccine for hepatitis E, we do have a vaccine for hepatitis A," Sarin said.
Talking about the chronic forms of the disease, he noted that hepatitis B, C and D are transmitted through blood and body fluids, with hepatitis B being largely passed from the mother to the child. A person being diagnosed with hepatitis B at the age of 30 is a common scenario today, he added.
'We ask, how did he get it? The answer often lies in vertical transmission. You cannot choose your mother and most likely, if you have hepatitis B, you inherited it at birth. Today, about 95 per cent hepatitis-B cases are due to mother-to-child transmission," Sarin said.
He added that hepatitis C is also transmitted through blood and body fluids, but unlike B and D, it is curable. A three-month course of treatment can cure most hepatitis-C cases and this treatment is covered under the national programme.
The conference, based on the theme of 'Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatitis", brought together health professionals, policymakers and civil-society leaders for a panel discussion on India's hepatitis burden and strategies to bridge treatment gaps and combat stigma.
Dr D S Rana, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, and an advisory council member of the foundation, said, 'As we heard from the experts, a liver failure has no full treatment except a liver transplant and even partial treatments are extremely expensive and inaccessible for most." 'The reality is that hepatitis is a preventable disease and prevention is our strongest alternative. Over the last 75 years, medical science has made remarkable progress in understanding such diseases, but the key lies in public awareness and early action," he added.
Anil Rajput, the chairperson of the foundation's advisory council, linked hepatitis prevention with broader national programmes. 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Har Ghar Jal Yojana and Eat Right India are already reshaping the landscape. These initiatives are critical in reducing risk factors like poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water and food-borne infections," he said. PTI NSM RC
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July 28, 2025, 22:00 IST
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