2 days ago
Let's Break It Down, Let's End Hepatitis
By Dr Chook Jack Bee
Every year, World Hepatitis Day on July 28 reminds us of a silent threat that continues to claim lives daily, viral hepatitis. This year's theme, 'Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down', urges us to dismantle the financial, social, and systemic barriers that delay diagnosis, stigmatise patients, and hinder access to care. It is time to confront hepatitis with facts, science, and action.
Viral hepatitis is responsible for most severe liver diseases like liver cancer and liver cirrhosis (liver hardening that may result in liver failure). Effective prevention and cure are available for hepatitis B and C, respectively. Yet, 3,500 lives are lost every day due to the severe liver diseases. Alarmingly, most people infected with hepatitis do not even know it. They carry the virus unknowingly, allowing it to progress silently into end-stage liver disease.
Dr Chook Jack Bee
As a biomedical researcher and scientist, my team and I have been investigating hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA for years, especially its connection to liver cancer and cirrhosis. To do this, we developed universal primer sets that work across all HBV strains, a crucial advancement in enabling laboratories to amplify and sequence the full HBV genome, especially in resource-limited settings where accessibility to genotype testing is rare.
One of our key findings is that HBV DNA modification in certain HBV strains plays a significant role in how the virus behaves and may contribute to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer development. This could be a useful tool for early identification of who is at risk of progression to liver cancer, and therefore a more closely management could ensue. We also uncovered that consuming coffee 3 cups per day may reduce HBV viral replication, offering protective benefits against severe liver diseases in people with chronic hepatitis B.
First, do not let cultural beliefs, misconceptions, or fear of a positive result stops you from getting tested. Early detection is the key to preventing liver cancer and accessing life-saving treatment. Hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination, especially the birth dose vaccine given within 24 hours of birth. Anti-HBV treatment is yet highly curable, but taking it may delay, if not prevent, progression to liver cancer. Good news is that hepatitis C is now >90% curable and the treatment is subsidised by Malaysia Government.
We need to rethink the strategies for accessible testing for hepatitis B and C, especially in rural and high-burden communities. Providing diverse testing options can encourage greater participation in screening. An integrated approach of incorporating hepatitis testing into general health screenings like those for hypertension and diabetes, may further increase participation.
Let's not wait. Let's break it down. Let's end hepatitis!
The author is a Senior Lecturer at Sir Jeffrey Cheah Sunway Medical School & Sunway University Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences Related
