State gears up to control hepatitis

SHILLONG: The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) was launched on Tuesday by the Secretary Health and Family Welfare-cum-Mission Director, National Health Mission, Pravin Bakshi at Conference Hall of the Main Secretariat.
Speaking at the meeting, Bakshi said the state is all geared up to roll out the programme and a lot of effort has gone into the planning as all the states will have to be on board.
He said that the Union Health Ministry has stepped in to arrest the disease.
Bakshi also said that the number of deaths reported globally is 1.34 million as per the 2015 figures which is a huge number that has prompted the government to launch the programme on a mission mode.
On the other hand, taking steps to achieve the target set by the Centre, the state management unit in Meghalaya has formed the state steering committee, notified Pasteur Institute as the state laboratory, identified four treatment centres across the state and identified four district laboratories etc.
NVHCP was launched by the Union Health Ministry on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day on July 28, 2018 with the aim to fight hepatitis and achieve countrywide elimination of Hepatitis C by 2030.
The programme seeks to reduce the number of infected population, morbidity and mortality associated with Hepatitis A,B, C and E.