Hepatitis B: Is your Family Protected ?

When Siddharth, a 22 year old, went to donate blood for his mother’s treatment, he was shocked to hear that he harboured the Hepatitis B infection! He was fit, played for his college cricket team and had not sufferred from jaundice. Hence his disbelief!

Hepatitis B is usually a silent infection. This year’s global awareness campaign  “Am I number 12?” was aimed at drawng attention to this frequency. In India, the rate is somewhat less; 43 of 2500 apparently healthy people tested positive during a free checkup camp in the city. Around 20-40 million people in India are infected, 6 to 10 times more than HIV. It spreads through infected reused needles, poorly tested transfused blood, sharing of instruments such as shaving blades or ear piercing needles, from a “carrier” mother during child birth, or unprotected sex with an infected person.

What makes Hepatitis B worrisome is its silent nature for many years during which the virus nibbles away at liver cells, leading ultimately to liver failure (cirrhosis) or liver cancer. These individuals feel quite normal for years. When symptoms do appear, much of he liver is already badly damaged!

Siddharth was lucky to be diagnosed before his liver was damaged; he was put on medications with which the infection is now well suppressed. His mother, who had vomited blood, was diagnosed to have cirrhosis from a prolonged infection with the virus. His younger brother also tested positive, both children having probably acquired it from her during child birth.

Screening test for Hepatitis B has become a standard recommendation during antenatal checkups so that the newborn of a “carrier” mother can be protected with immediate vaccination and Hepatitis B immunoglobulin injections just after birth. It is however hardly followed as facilities for testing are not available in most government hospitals, community and primary health centers. Routine vaccination of new borns with the vaccine (cost Rs 8/- per pediatric shot, 3 shots required for full protection, after 1 and 6 months of the 1^st) has still not been included in the government vaccination schedule in most parts of India. More than 150 countries, some less economically developed than ours, have adopted it and brought down the infection rates drastically.

The vaccine used to be fairly expensive, costing Rs 1500/- for 3 adult doses. With many companies manufacturing it, the cost  for 3 doses has dived to around Rs 50/-, for a lifetime of protection. In spite of this, we found that only one third of school students in Lucknow had received the shots. The rates were as low as 0 to 6% in rural schools. The issue is less about cost now, and more about awareness. While the Gates and other foundations have helped spread awarenss about HIV infection, Hepatitis B, which infects and kills more than 10 times as HIV, is at large. HOPE Initiative, a Lucknow based organization, through its unique B-Rodh project, with support from Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMS) Foundation, is sending this message to 5 lac children and their families in Uttar Pradesh. You can become B-safe @Rs 50/- for your lifetime, certainly a worthwhile investment.

 As published in HT City ( Hindustan Times) dated 25 october, 2009.