Mumbai: The World Health Organisation and its Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia Region, Amitabh Bachchan, have welcomed India’s national action plan for viral hepatitis which aims to reach life-saving drugs and diagnostics to over 50 million affected people across the country.
“The process of detection of hepatitis is important. If detected timely, hepatitis can be cured and I am an example of that,” said Bachchan, a hepatitis B survivor who has been passionately advocating for countries to prevent, test and treat hepatitis.
He was speaking at the release of India’s National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis. The hepatitis programme in India is expected to benefit an estimated 50 million people suffering from hepatitis — 40 million from hepatitis B, which is preventable, and over 10 million from hepatitis C, which can be cured. Complimenting India for becoming the first country in WHO South-East Asia Region to release a national action plan for hepatitis, Regional Director Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said, “India’s efforts are commendable and reflect the country’s commitment to health and universal health coverage.”
The Regional Director and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis were speaking at an event yesterday where India’s Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Mr Ashwini Kumar Choubey released the National Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis and the National Guidelines for Hepatitis B.
The action plan, which is in sync with the WHO’s regional and global action plans, follows launch of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme on the World Hepatitis Day last year. The programme aims at comprehensively addressing – prevention, treatment and management of hepatitis A to E.
