Listening to your body helps you keep a check on your health. Signs and symptoms are your body's way of signaling issues that need attention. It is important to act on these cues, so you can curb infections that may otherwise slip under the radar and cause trouble.
Viral Hepatitis is one such condition.
The Health Challenge at Hand
Hepatitis is caused by five known viruses - A, B, C, D and E (HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and HEV) - and is generally transmitted through blood and bodily fluids. Often, however, the symptoms of hepatitis do not appear immediately, making it difficult for the infection to get noticed. Even so, the infection can cause serious health problems if left untreated.
This makes testing and diagnosis crucial. Accurate diagnostics that help in identifying infections early can pave the way for timely treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 296 million people globally were living with a chronic hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection in 2019. And yet, despite being widespread, only 9% of the people affected by HBV get diagnosed. This has led to the disease becoming rampant. In order to reduce the burden of this disease, WHO has set a goal to diagnose 90% of people affected by HBV before 2030.
Hepatitis in India – A Challenging Situation
In India, too, hepatitis has been recognized as a significant health challenge. For instance, India has been classified as an intermediate zone for the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (a protein found on the surface of the HBV). There are approximately 40 million people affected by the HBV virus. Both HAV and HEV are important causes for severe cases of viral hepatitis and liver failure in India. HEV accounts for about 50% of the liver failure cases amongst adults, though children are affected more by HAV.
Many factors contribute to the high number of hepatitis cases in India. The worrying aspect is the increased risk of infections in children. Out of 26 million infants born each year, about 1 million run a lifetime risk of being affected by hepatitis.
How will testing help?
Despite the high number of hepatitis cases, the majority of the HBV infections globally are not diagnosed at the right time. Large-scale testing can help to solve this problem and reduce the burden of this disease.
Rapid hepatitis testing will enable early diagnosis— this will not only help people with chronic HBV get treatment to prevent or delay its progression, but can also help to reduce transmission rates. Diagnostics that allow portability and ease of use can be utilized on a broader scale. Diagnosis is even more important amongst vulnerable groups like pregnant women, to prevent transmission from mother to child, and HIV-positive individuals, where it may be difficult to diagnose HBV. Innovations that allow laboratories to scale up testing and provide flexible testing options are also critical in detecting the infection, linking those diagnosed to the appropriate care, and improving the health of communities.
Social awareness about viral hepatitis is the need of the hour. Being aware about hepatitis and its consequences will encourage people to look out for symptoms and signs of hepatitis. It will enable early diagnosis and help people with the infection receive immediate care.
A diagnosis can bring positive change. It can be your doorway to the care you need, to live your best life. Medical innovations are evolving to help you live fully, even with a health condition. The first step— of tuning in to your body’s needs and getting yourself tested— can bring you closer to a healthy life.
Disclaimer: The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive /for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information.
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