Maiden study to unravel liver diseases, Hep C infection

Kounteya Sinha, TNN, Aug 18, 2010, 02.14am IST

NEW DELHI: India will find out the actual burden of liver diseases and Hepatitis C infection soon.

In a first-of-its-kind venture, 12 hospitals across the country have joined hands for a two-year-old study that will not only quantify the number of people suffering from liver diseases, but will also look at its economic burden, the possible ways to prevent such infections and train technicians for a better detection of Hep C from blood samples.

BMC Foundation has relased a Rs 2 crore grant for the study, which is expected to be completed by 2011.

Led by the Liver Foundation of West Bengal and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' biostatistics department, the other hospitals involved in the exercise include Post Graduate Institute (Chandigarh), Christian Medical College (Vellore), Osmania Medical College (Hyderabad), Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (Kolkata) and Bombay Hospital.

Other institutes like the Bhopal Memorial Hospital, Calicut Medical College (Kerala), Dayanand Medical College (Ludhiana), Catholic Medical Centre (Manipur) and Assam Medical College (Guwahati) are also an integral part of the study.

Speaking to TOI, Dr Abhijit Chowdhury from the Liver Foundation said, "We have been conducting this study since February. It will look at the prevalence of liver diseases in different regions in India, and what's the main cause behind it. For example, in northern states like Delhi alcohol is the primarily causes liver diseases. While in Punjab it is Hep C infection. In north-eastern and eastern states, Hep B and C infection is the main cause."

"This exhaustive study will make the government aware about the causes of liver diseases in the country, and the preventive measures. Whether the prevalence across regions is heterogeneous or homogenous, what's the share on the nation's health care burden, and what percentage of hospital beds is occupied by people with liver disease. Liver patients suffer a long speill of illness, resulting in a major economic burden for the country and respective households," Dr Chowdhury explained.

Hep C infection is becoming a major problem in India, where an estimated 10.9 million have chronic infection. An increasing number of patients, carrying the Hep C virus are developing cirrhosis, or liver failure. Every year, the number of people infected with the Hep C virus increases by three to four million worldwide, adding to the 170 million people already infected.

Experts say 80% of patients with chronic Hep C infection will develop cirrhosis. The Hep C virus is transmitted through direct blood contact with infected blood.

Persons with needle-stick injury, health care workers with exposure to blood/blood products transfusion/blood-product recipients, transplant recipients and persons with tattoos stand a high risk of contracting Hep C. Since 2001, Union health ministry has made it mandatory for blood banks to screen blood for Hep C patients.

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