- The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the National Action Plan – Viral Hepatitis. Technical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Hepatitis B was also released.
- The Action Plan provides a strategic framework, based on which National Viral Hepatitis Control Program was framed and launched in 2018. According to the action plan, one model hepatitis treatment centre will be established in each State in a government institution in the first year and model centres will be increased gradually.
- National Viral Hepatitis Control Program aims to combat hepatitis and achieve goal of countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030. It also seeks to achieve significant reduction in the infected population, morbidity and mortality associated with Hepatitis B and C, A and E. The program is in line with India’s global commitment towards achieving Sustainable development Goal (SDG) 3.3. SDG 3.3 calls to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases by 2030.
- Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by five known hepatitis viruses — A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis B and C are transmitted by unsafe injection practices, infected blood and blood products, sexual transmission and from mother to child. The infections may lead to cirrhosis and liver cancers.
