Reza Mahmud :
Locally produced medicines have created hope of almost complete recovery of patients from the Hepatitis-C Virus.
It is possible because of the availability of the excellent drugs, which are also manufactured in Bangladesh. The product quality of these generic drugs is as good as original drugs of the developed country like the USA.
Several studies show that the third position of death rates of patients in the hospitals are those who are hepatitis infected, mostly suffering from liver cirrhosis.
According to Health Department, about 50 lakh people are infected with hepatitis C virus. The number is on increase. There is no vaccine in the world to resist C virus. The death rate from hepatitis is above the AIDS attacked patients in the world, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).
Experts said, the reason of the increasing death was inability to bear the treatment cost. But the cost is now within the reach of the common people, say the physicians.
About one percent of our total population is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected. It may push patients from jaundice to serious cirrhosis to death. There are about 65 specialised physicians to treat the hepatitis infected patients in the country.
Experts said, unwise blood transfusion is the one of the major causes of spreading the virus.
Blood is examined before transfusion to others body in the developed world. But little care is taken in our country. Consequently, the infection rate is increasing in Bangladesh, India and other Asian and African countries.
A recent data shows that the 60 percent of the patients are the prey of the blood transfusion in vein, five to 13 percent are infected at the time of transplanting organs, two to 18 percent infected from unhealthy environment, 0 to 7 percent from risky professional systems, 0 to 4 percent of the children from hepatitis C positive mothers and 11 to 17 percent from sexual activities.
“In the past, the treatment cost was expensive, but it is now within the range of the poor people. Complete cure is possible in our country by our local medication,” Dr. Chanchal Kumar Ghosh, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, of Bangabandhu Seikh Mujib Medical University told The New Nation.
The experts also said, long time infection (chronic hepatitis C) may cause several life threatening complications like cirrhosis. Before 2011, treatment of HCV infection was very difficult, lengthy, very expensive, injection dependent. The recovery rate was less rewarding. The sustained virological response was about 60 percents. Also the adverse effect of the injection oriented drug interferon was substantial.
But after 2011, a revolution occurred in the world when many oral drugs were introduced for the treatment of HCV infection. 2014 was the year when HCV treatment was recommended only by oral medication. But the cost was so high because of its dependency on foreign medicine.
Physicians said, the oral treatment is a three months course only. In addition, it is also of lower cost. There are no substantial side effects of those drugs and cure rate is near about 100 percents.
Most of the oral drugs introduced in the world are also available in Bangladesh. The product quality of the generic drugs produced by the Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals is as good as original drugs of the developed country like the USA.
“More over many countries of the world are using our generic products for cheaper rate and good product quality. So, complete cure of hepatitis C virus infection is possible in our country with the help of our own medicine,” Dr. Chanchal Kumar Ghosh said.
Locally produced medicines have created hope of almost complete recovery of patients from the Hepatitis-C Virus.
It is possible because of the availability of the excellent drugs, which are also manufactured in Bangladesh. The product quality of these generic drugs is as good as original drugs of the developed country like the USA.
Several studies show that the third position of death rates of patients in the hospitals are those who are hepatitis infected, mostly suffering from liver cirrhosis.
According to Health Department, about 50 lakh people are infected with hepatitis C virus. The number is on increase. There is no vaccine in the world to resist C virus. The death rate from hepatitis is above the AIDS attacked patients in the world, according to World Health Organisation (WHO).
Experts said, the reason of the increasing death was inability to bear the treatment cost. But the cost is now within the reach of the common people, say the physicians.
About one percent of our total population is hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected. It may push patients from jaundice to serious cirrhosis to death. There are about 65 specialised physicians to treat the hepatitis infected patients in the country.
Experts said, unwise blood transfusion is the one of the major causes of spreading the virus.
Blood is examined before transfusion to others body in the developed world. But little care is taken in our country. Consequently, the infection rate is increasing in Bangladesh, India and other Asian and African countries.
A recent data shows that the 60 percent of the patients are the prey of the blood transfusion in vein, five to 13 percent are infected at the time of transplanting organs, two to 18 percent infected from unhealthy environment, 0 to 7 percent from risky professional systems, 0 to 4 percent of the children from hepatitis C positive mothers and 11 to 17 percent from sexual activities.
“In the past, the treatment cost was expensive, but it is now within the range of the poor people. Complete cure is possible in our country by our local medication,” Dr. Chanchal Kumar Ghosh, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, of Bangabandhu Seikh Mujib Medical University told The New Nation.
The experts also said, long time infection (chronic hepatitis C) may cause several life threatening complications like cirrhosis. Before 2011, treatment of HCV infection was very difficult, lengthy, very expensive, injection dependent. The recovery rate was less rewarding. The sustained virological response was about 60 percents. Also the adverse effect of the injection oriented drug interferon was substantial.
But after 2011, a revolution occurred in the world when many oral drugs were introduced for the treatment of HCV infection. 2014 was the year when HCV treatment was recommended only by oral medication. But the cost was so high because of its dependency on foreign medicine.
Physicians said, the oral treatment is a three months course only. In addition, it is also of lower cost. There are no substantial side effects of those drugs and cure rate is near about 100 percents.
Most of the oral drugs introduced in the world are also available in Bangladesh. The product quality of the generic drugs produced by the Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals is as good as original drugs of the developed country like the USA.
“More over many countries of the world are using our generic products for cheaper rate and good product quality. So, complete cure of hepatitis C virus infection is possible in our country with the help of our own medicine,” Dr. Chanchal Kumar Ghosh said.
