Illness To Wellness: Fighting Hepatitis B With More Vigour

Mumbai: To curb mother-to-child transmission of viral hepatitis, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) along with ‘Illness To Wellness’, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, have relaunched the ‘Winning Over Mothers With Hepatitis B’ (WOMB) initiative. Initially launched in 2022, the campaign aims to spread a word about prevention and control of Hepatitis B, especially among mothers and newborns.

The ailment infects over 40 million people in India and most patients continue to suffer as the society largely remains weighed down by misconceptions related to the disease.

“It is a national awareness drive aimed at generating awareness on various mind and body conditions (of Hepatitis B patients) and providing holistic and broad stakeholder engagements, with the overall objective of promoting healthy living,” said an official.

Dr Shiv K Sarin, Director and Chancellor, ILBS, and Dr Arti Ahuja, ex-secretary, ministry of labour and employment expressed grave concerns at the discrimination faced by Hepatitis B patients. They spoke about the need to ensure vaccination and importance of information dissemination through persistent efforts to end the shame associated with the disease.

“In India, the focus is more on treatment and less on preventive aspects and citizens should focus on staying healthy instead of depending on doctors for treatment at a later stage,” said Dr Ahuja. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry is the CSR partner in the cause.