Preventing hepatitis

One in every three citizens in Bangladesh is suffering from some sort of liver diseases, according to a survey conducted by the Hepatology Society. The survey revealed that about 10 million people are suffering from chronic hepatitis and more than 40 million across the country are suffering from fatty liver diseases. There is also a very high death toll due to hepatitis.

Hepatitis A spreads from poor sanitary conditions. Due to lack of knowledge of hygiene, numerous people in the country suffer from this disease. The only solution is good hygiene and its awareness. Hepatitis B and C spread through bodily fluids. There is poor cleanliness in our hospitals. Thus, they are the major cause behind spreading this disease. In hospitals, syringes are sometimes reused, although there is a strict regulation against this. Syringes are also reused by the people who use illegal drugs. Also, there is reportedly a criminal gang working on collecting the syringes from the garbage, repackaging them and selling these to medical stores.

What we should do to eliminate Hepatitis B and C is that the syringes should be destroyed after a single use so that they cannot be repackaged. There should be regular checks in hospitals to make sure that hygiene is up to standard. Drug addicts should be taken into rehabilitation. With efforts from the government and health sector, we can prevent hepatitis of all kinds.

Badsha Faysal,

Jurain, Dhaka,

badshafaysal1998@gmail.com