Illustrative image (Source: Jakarta Post) Hanoi (VNA) - A recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Health shows thatmore than three million Vietnamese people are infected with Hepatitis C virus(HCV).
According to the survey, 40 percent of the infected people may die due toHCV-related complications, including liver cancer.
The ministry said the number of deaths caused by Hepatitis B and C was the sameas the number of people dying from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Vietnam.
The prevalence of HCV in HCM City is alarmingly high, accounting for 3.2-4.2percent. The incidence of cirrhosis in the city is 3.3 percent and liver canceris up to 4 percent. The HCV infection rate is as high as 96 percent among drugaddicts.
Hepatitis C is like a “silent killer” because it has no obvious symptoms butcan be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, life threatening, according tothe Vietnam Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (VLBA).
HCV can be transmitted by blood, tooth extraction and unprotected sex, and thenumber of infected people in the country is increasing. In the early stages ofthe disease, most hepatitis C patients have no symptoms and it does not affectthe patient’s health, so most people do not realise when they are infected,according to health experts.
A representative from VLBA said a patient’s health can be severely affectedwhen HCV transitions to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Patients at this stage haveanorexia, indigestion, swelling in legs, muscle aches, cramps, numbness,itching, dizziness, fatigue and trembling hands. In addition to this, severecomplications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, fluid retention in the abdomenand drowsiness can occur,” doctors said, giving hope that the potential toeliminate HCV exists with appropriate disease awareness, screening, treatmentand health care infrastructure.
HCV continues to be one of the most prevalent blood-borne infections in theworld, affecting more than 185 million people globally. HCV-relatedcomplications cause up to 500,000 deaths every year, with countries in EastAsia recording some of the highest HCV infection levels worldwide, according tothe World Health Organisation.
In the future, US-based Gilead Sciences biopharmaceuticalcompany plans to expand an initiative to reduce morbidity and mortality ofHCV in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.
The Gilead’s Access initiative has achieved remarkable results in Arkhangai provinceof Mongolia since 2016 by providing screening for nearly 17,600 people. Amongthe 1,774 people who tested positive for HCV, 1,748 have received treatment todate and 99.7 percent of the infected population has fully recovered. Inaddition to this, 36 cases of early-stage liver cancer were identified duringthe screening process.-VNA
