India Strengthens Fight Against Hepatitis with Free Testing, Treatment and Integrated Healthcare Services

New Delhi: India has intensified its efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis by expanding free screening, diagnostics and treatment services under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP), with the goal of meeting the global target of combating the disease by 2030.

According to the Union government, the NVHCP has been integrated with several national health programmes to improve access to prevention, early diagnosis and treatment while reducing barriers to healthcare.

Launched in 2018, the programme aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and focuses on awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis across the country.

The government said the programme addresses hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, while a paperless NVHCP Management Information System (MIS) is being used for patient registration, treatment monitoring and programme management.

Hepatitis A and E, which are generally acute and prone to outbreaks, are monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Meanwhile, patients diagnosed with hepatitis B and hepatitis C are provided free diagnostic tests and medicines under the scheme.

Citing data from the 2021 HIV Sentinel Surveillance, the government said 0.85 per cent of those tested were positive for hepatitis B, while 0.29 per cent tested positive for hepatitis C—equivalent to approximately one in every 118 people and one in every 345 people, respectively.

As part of maternal and child healthcare initiatives, the government also supports universal screening of pregnant women for hepatitis B to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission.

Under the Universal Immunisation Programme, all newborns are encouraged to receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, while babies born to hepatitis B-positive mothers are also provided Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG) for additional protection.

The NVHCP also operates a toll-free helpline (1800-11-6666), shared with the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), to provide information on hepatitis prevention, transmission, treatment and the locations of healthcare facilities offering programme services.

With inputs from IANS