Dina Indrasafitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Mon, 06/28/2010 9:37 AM
National Indonesia is looking to work with other hepatitis-endemic countries including China in its fight against liver diseases, the Health Ministry says.
“As nations in the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia and China share the same burden, which is that they are in a hepatitis-B-endemic region. Thus, cooperation between the two countries, ranging from prevention to treatment needs, needs to be developed further,” Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih said during the China Indonesia Hepatobiliary Medicine and Surgery symposium recently.
Since Indonesia initiated a hepatitis B immunization program in 1997 the prevalence of the disease has declined among children under four, from 6.2 percent to 1.4 percent, ministry data shows.
Hepatitis B infections affect the liver and in some cases can require patients to undergo liver transplant operations.
In terms of human resources Indonesia is currently capable of conducting such operations, but lacks the necessary equipment, Rahayu said on the sidelines of the symposium.
Earlier this year, a 3-year-old boy in East Java died from organ failure after having undergone a liver transplant operation to receive his mother’s liver.
China, meanwhile, has a reputation for having carried out successful liver transplants.
Data from the 2007 Basic Health Research report, which includes analysis of blood samples collected from 30,000 households in 294 regencies and cities, shows that around 34 percent of residents were infected with hepatitis B, and the infection rate tended to increase with age.
Endang said the 55-to-59-year-old age group was the most vulnerable group to hepatitis C.
There are currently 22 million people in Indonesia infected with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C. Ten percent of these are carriers and half of that 10 percent have chronic cases.
Indonesian Liver Research Association (PPHI) chairman Unggul Budihusodo said most infections occurred from the virus being passed from mothers to infants.
Besides a low success rate — around half for hepatitis B and 65 percent for hepatitis C — curing hepatitis is a long and costly process, which can cost the patient millions of rupiah or even their job, Unggul said.
Reports had emerged of hepatitis carriers being discriminated against in the workplace, being deemed unfit even though the virus does not have a significant impact on the quality of life.
Indonesia has pushed for global awareness on viral hepatitis, and last month the annual WHO meeting in Geneva adopted a resolution declaring July 28 World Hepatitis Day.
In January 2010 during the WHO Executive Board meeting, as a representative of the Southeast Asian region Indonesia suggested (along with Brazil and Columbia) that viral hepatitis be recognized as a global issue.
The World Health Assembly agreed on the suggestion and established it as the assembly resolution on viral hepatitis, Endang said.
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