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SCALE UP EFFORTS AGAINST HEPATITIS: WHO TELLS
SE ASIAN NATIONS
Hepatitis is preventable
and treatable but
continues to be an acute
public health challenge
globally and in countries
of WHO South-East Asia
Region. Viral hepatitis
kills approximately 350
000 people every year in the Region. It is responsible for more
deaths than HIV and malaria together, and is second only to
tuberculosis as a major cause of death among communicable
diseases. Globally, and in the Region the number of deaths due to
viral hepatitis is increasing. There is need for immediate and urgent
action to arrest the spread of hepatitis.
Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh WHO Regional Director for South-East
Asia in her statement mentioned, "In the South-East Asia Region,
viral hepatitis is driving rates of liver cancer and cirrhosis, and is
causing premature death and disease with over 100 million people
chronically infected with hepatitis B and hepatitis C. These numbers
are unacceptable as there is an effective vaccine and treatment for
hepatitis B, and over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be cured
with treatment."
NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ON RISE IN INDIA:
STATUS REPORT
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has undertaken a
survey on diabetes viz. ICMR India Diabetes (ICMR-INDAB) Study
on the prevalence of
diabetes. It is an ongoing
study and current results
available from 15
States/Union Territories
(UTs) indicate overall
prevalence of Diabetes
which varies from 4 percent
to 13 percent. The Minister
of State (Health and Family
Welfare), Mr Faggan Singh
Kulaste stated this recently
in a written reply on the
floor of the Lok Sabha (lower house of Parliament).
As reported by ICMR, based on the “Three-year Report of the
Population Based Cancer Registries: 2012-14”, the estimated
incidence and mortality of cancer cases in India for all sites is as
under. The data clearly shows a remarkable increase in the number
of deaths during 2015 as compared to the previous years.
ICMR has informed that according to the Report of National
Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, there were 380 lakh
cases of Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) in the year 2005 and these
were estimated to rise to 641 lakh cases in the year 2015. The
number of deaths from CVDs was estimated to more than double
during this period.
ADVAMED CRITICIZES HEALTH MINISTRY'S MOVE TO
INCLUDE STENTS IN NLEM
Recently the union health ministry issued a notification announcing