A Hepatitis C-free India is an achievable goal if all stakeholders work together and seize the opportunity offered by availability of new scientific innovations, said Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura president Dr Pradip Bhaumik.
"India is facing a serious threat from Hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is, however, going to take a lot more than low-cost drugs to get patients cured," said Bhaumik in a press release today.
"Opportunity exists within the HIV Infrastructure in the race against HCV. A robust awareness drive, similar to the one adopted for combating HIV, should be initiated with focus on screening and early diagnosis," he said.
"HCV as an issue poses a much greater disease burden and is several times more virulent than HIV. At present we are unaware of the magnitude of the problem. It is imperative to undertake large field studies to identify pockets and better understand HCV epidemiology," Dr Bhaumik said.
"Once we know where exactly the problem exists, measures to ensure affordable and effective treatment should be undertaken," the medical expert said.
"Another issue is, at present we are unaware of the magnitude of the problem. It is imperative to undertake large field studies to identify pockets and better understand HCV epidemiology," he suggested.
