Odisha government to start hepatitis screening in five districts The state government has decided to conduct camps for screening of hepatitis B and C among the high-risk groups under the healthy liver campaign in Odisha.The health screening will be conducted in five districts - Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur and Sundargarh and five municipal corporations in the first phase. Health secretary Shalini Pandit has asked the CDMOs of the five districts and commissioners of the municipal corporations to make necessary arrangements for smooth conduct of the health screening of high risk groups. A team of trained professionals including microbiologist, epidemiologist, lab technician, trained medicine specialist or senior medical officer will conduct the camps and provide free diagnosis and treatment under National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP). Pandit said sero-prevalence of hepatitis B is 0.98 per cent and hepatitis C is 0.34 per cent in the community and the incidence of both hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus is much higher among high risk groups, including female sex workers, men who have sex with men and transgenders, injecting drug users, truckers and migrants, who are more in numbers in the municipal corporation areas. “The infection can lead to cirrhosis of liver and cancer if not treated in time. In order to prevent transmission and protect the high risk groups, there is an urgent need to screen them and provide necessary treatment,” she said. The first phase of the campaign will be conducted from February 27 to March 4. Please Like, Share and Follow @apna.odisha #ApnaOdisha #Odisha #OdishaNews #hepatitis #odishagovernment #news #odishaaah (at Odisha) https://www.instagram.com/p/Coy1aYCrSJ4/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
