Odisha government declares hepatitis B and C as notifiable diseases

Bhubaneswar:With Hepatitis ‘B’ and Hepatitis ‘C’ emerging as major health problems in the State, Odisha government declared them as notifiable diseases with immediate effect. In a statement on Friday, the State Health and Family Welfare department asked all healthcare facilities to take immediate steps for notification of Hepatitis (Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) cases at the earliest. ”In exercise of the powers conferred under Section (2) (1) of the Epidemic Disease Act, 897, the government prescribed in the notification that all healthcare providers (Government/Private/NGO sector) where diagnosis, tests and treatment of patients is undertaken shall have to take adequate steps for timely notification of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C diseases (screened or confirmed) to the district surveillance officers and State surveillance officer,” the notification said. The State government said chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C cases are major public health concerns accounting for substantial morbidity, mortality and economic loss in Odisha. These two are blood-borne and transmissible viral diseases, officials said. While Hepatitis C is curable if treated on time for three months, Hepatitis B requires lifelong treatment, the notification said, adding that both the diseases can give rise to liver damage and hepato-cellular carcinoma (liver cancer) if they remain undiagnosed and untreated. The State government said it is determined to bring down the Hepatitis infectivity and case load to elimination level in a time-bound manner.