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Metropolis Ties up with Novartis for Hepatitis Awareness Programme
Metropolis Health Services, India's leading chain of diagnostic
centers, will be joining hands with pharma major Novartis to organise a year-long
Hepatitis awareness programme. The awareness campaign, launched from 19th May
2009 to commemorate World Hepatitis Day, will focus on a variety of programmes
from Hepatitis screenings for general public pan India across Metropolis centers,
CMEs for doctors and public awareness.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), even though
India is considered to have moderate percentage level of HBV infections in the
population, there are estimations that approximately 40 million Indian are Hepatitis
B virus (HBV) carriers. Over 1,00,000 Indian succumb each year from complications
caused by HBV infections (ie cirrhosis, liver cancer etc). In an effort to keep
this rising toll in check nation wide plans have already been implemented in
2003, to arrange for availability of vaccination to all infants in the poor
sections of 33 districts. Also another 1.49 million non-slum infants were added
to the program in 2005.
Said Ameera Shah, Executive Director, Metropolis Health Services,
"It is crucial for the country to realise the magnitude of this disease.
There is no obvious cure for it and the only option is awareness and prevention.
Our singular aim is to generate know how of Hepatitis B so that people (both
doctors and general public) are wiser and more responsible. Metropolis Health
Services has always been in the forefront of disease prevention and focuses
on a healthier and wiser India"
Said Dr Suresh Menon, Chief Scientific Officer, Novartis,
"In spite of Hepatitis B being around 10 times more prevalent and 50 to
100 times more infectious than HIV, hardly anything is known about it to general
population. This adds to our social responsibility to spread the necessary awareness
about Hepatitis B, so as to keep people informed about and also protected from;
this deadly disease."
EH News Bureau
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