To raise awareness on hepatitis among college students, Government Stanley Medical College organised a camp and discussion session ahead of World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28, at the Bharathi Women’s College on Thursday.
Speaking at the function, Health Minister K C Veeramani said that the State had been successfully utilising pentavalent vaccines to prevent hepatitis after the Centre introduced it in the immunisation programme in TN and Kerala. “There will be a day when there won’t be any cases of hepatitis in the State. Students should pass on information and create awareness about it,” he said.
Earlier Dr S Geethalakshmi, dean of the college, pointed out that the women’s college was chosen to hold the camp as they were future mothers and needed to have awareness of hepatitis. “Women are the future and they need to know the preventive measures for hepatitis so they can educate others,” she said.
Informing the students that there were about 28-30 lakh Hepatitis B and seven lakh Hepatitis C patients in the State, Dr A R Venkateswaran, HoD, Gastroenterology, Govt Stanley Medical College, said that World Hepatitis Day was observed every year on July 28 to mark the discovery of the Hepatitis B virus. “Hepatitis is deadlier than HIV and the treatment is expensive. We have the vaccine to prevent it. At Stanley, we have a screening every Tuesday,” he said.
Medical experts said that hepatitis was an inflammation of the liver most commonly caused by a viral infection. Out of the five main hepatitis viruses, Type A, B, C, D and E, types B and C lead to chronic diseases and are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer. Hepatitis A and E are caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of contact with infected body fluids.