Staff Reporter :
Hepatitis appears as a public health concern in Bangladesh as a study shows that the working age youths between 18 and 29 are found with high risks of hepatitis B and C, a joint study revealed this on Thursday on the eve of World Hepatitis Day.
The study on ‘Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B and C virus infections in Bangladesh: A nationwide population-based survey’ was jointly conducted by BSMMU (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, ICDDR,B and University of Florida College of Medicine, USA.
This year, the World Hepatitis Day will be observed on Saturday with the theme ‘Test, Treat Hepatitis’.
Experts said hepatitis has five categories. Of them, hepatitis B and C are major health challenges. These two types of hepatitis have affected 325 million people across the globe. They are the root causes of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis that lead to deaths.
The study shows that about 85 lakh people have been infected with hepatitis B and 15 lakh with hepatitis C virus in Bangladesh.
The study was conducted between December 2015 and January 2017 on 2,713 people in capital Dhaka and in urban areas of Bogura, Feni, Patuakhali, Mymensingh and in Pabna sadar upazila, Chatkhil of Noakhali, Bheramara of Kushtia and Keraniganj of Dhaka.
The study discloses that 5.1 per cent people are infected with hepatitis B virus and the prevalence was higher among youths between 18 and 29 years of age with prevalence rate of 6.3 per cent.
The people with family history of liver diseases have higher prevalence of hepatitis B with the rate of 11.8 per cent.
Urban people are found with higher prevalence of hepatitis B — 5.4 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent of rural prevalence.
The study shows the prevalence rate indicates that 57 lakh male and 28 lakh female are with hepatitis B and 25 lakh youths in between 18 and 29 and 18 lakh women of childbearing age between 18 and 45 with hepatitis B virus.
It also reveals that the prevalence of hepatitis C infection is 0.2 per cent population or about 15 lakh people.
Lead researcher and BSMMU Hepatology Associate Professor Shahinul Alam said, “95 per cent of the people with hepatitis B and C are unaware that they had already the disease. Hepatitis progress silently and slowly with little or no symptoms.”
He said, testing is the best method to identify the patients and beginning early treatment.
Liver expert and BSMMU former Hepatology Department Chairman Mobin Khan said that a hepatitis B patient has to spend about Tk 50-80 per day and the treatment is for the lifelong.
Hepatitis appears as a public health concern in Bangladesh as a study shows that the working age youths between 18 and 29 are found with high risks of hepatitis B and C, a joint study revealed this on Thursday on the eve of World Hepatitis Day.
The study on ‘Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B and C virus infections in Bangladesh: A nationwide population-based survey’ was jointly conducted by BSMMU (Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, ICDDR,B and University of Florida College of Medicine, USA.
This year, the World Hepatitis Day will be observed on Saturday with the theme ‘Test, Treat Hepatitis’.
Experts said hepatitis has five categories. Of them, hepatitis B and C are major health challenges. These two types of hepatitis have affected 325 million people across the globe. They are the root causes of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis that lead to deaths.
The study shows that about 85 lakh people have been infected with hepatitis B and 15 lakh with hepatitis C virus in Bangladesh.
The study was conducted between December 2015 and January 2017 on 2,713 people in capital Dhaka and in urban areas of Bogura, Feni, Patuakhali, Mymensingh and in Pabna sadar upazila, Chatkhil of Noakhali, Bheramara of Kushtia and Keraniganj of Dhaka.
The study discloses that 5.1 per cent people are infected with hepatitis B virus and the prevalence was higher among youths between 18 and 29 years of age with prevalence rate of 6.3 per cent.
The people with family history of liver diseases have higher prevalence of hepatitis B with the rate of 11.8 per cent.
Urban people are found with higher prevalence of hepatitis B — 5.4 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent of rural prevalence.
The study shows the prevalence rate indicates that 57 lakh male and 28 lakh female are with hepatitis B and 25 lakh youths in between 18 and 29 and 18 lakh women of childbearing age between 18 and 45 with hepatitis B virus.
It also reveals that the prevalence of hepatitis C infection is 0.2 per cent population or about 15 lakh people.
Lead researcher and BSMMU Hepatology Associate Professor Shahinul Alam said, “95 per cent of the people with hepatitis B and C are unaware that they had already the disease. Hepatitis progress silently and slowly with little or no symptoms.”
He said, testing is the best method to identify the patients and beginning early treatment.
Liver expert and BSMMU former Hepatology Department Chairman Mobin Khan said that a hepatitis B patient has to spend about Tk 50-80 per day and the treatment is for the lifelong.
