CHENNAI:
With one in every 12 individuals carrying the risk of being affected by
hepatitis B or C, there is a crying need for awareness and
precautionary measures, says A T Mohan, consultant gastroenterologist at
Apollo Hospitals.
Speaking at the first Dr A R Subrahmanyam
oration by the Voluntary Health Services here on Wednesday, he threw
light on the many implications of hepatitis B and how due to its
asymptomatic effects, it is often dubbed as the 'silent killer'.
Highlighting statistics from a recent study, Dr Mohan said, "The study
shows that India has more than 37 million HBV (hepatitis B virus)
carriers. With a huge population of over a billion, India has an
approximate HBV carrier rate of 3.0% with a high prevalence rate in the
tribal population, which is quite unsettling.
Read more...Labels: awareness, epidemiology, India