With the theme "Prevent Hepatitis: It's up to you," the World Hepatitis Day 2016 is being marked here on Thursday (today) to create public awareness about the disease and prevent possible outbreak. To mark the day, walks, seminars, workshops, scientific sessions and medical camps will be arranged. As per statistics, hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people world-wide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year.
Health professionals told Business Recorder that the re-use of syringes by healthcare providers for common ailments are main reasons for the rapid spread of the hepatitis viral infections. They stressed the use of boiled water and habit of hand washing after eating, using washroom and changing diapers as an important preventive measure. They said people should often use new syringes at clinics, razor blades at barber shops and sterilised dental and surgical equipments in case of procedures.
"Sterilisation should also be verified for instruments used during pedicure and manicure. Before blood transfusion, people should check that it had duly been screened for hepatitis B and C," they added. They said polluted water, illegal industrial poisonous water discharge and environment pollution were the key causes of hepatitis A.