National Liver Foundation, MOGS announce joint partnership

With this programme, it is expected that Mumbai will become the first city in the country to achieve universal administration of birth dose hepatitis B vaccine in India

Mumbai has nearly 1,60,000 babies born every year. Currently, 12 per cent or nearly 20,000 newborns in Mumbai each year do not receive this vaccine, which affords protection against hepatitis B infection that can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer in later life.

The programme is aimed at ensuring every newborn in Mumbai will get a protective Hepatitis B vaccine shot within 24 hours of birth, irrespective of place of delivery of the newborn, whether in a private hospital or nursing home, or in any municipal or government facility.

The National Liver Foundation and Mumbai Obstetric and Gynaecological Association have joined hands to ensure that no child is left unprotected at birth for the lack of being administered a free hepatitis B vaccine shot. This partnership is being launched as part of the observations for World Hepatitis Day, 2018 (July 31) with presence of Dr Samir Shah, Dr Bipin Pandit, Dr Avinash Supe, Dean KEM Hospital and Dr Chiplunkar, Assistant Health officer.

Municipal and Government hospitals and maternity centers in Mumbai are already providing the vaccine to all newborn children delivered in their facilities. With this partnership programme, it is expected that Mumbai will become the first city in the country to achieve universal administration of birth dose hepatitis B vaccine in India.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Samir Shah, Founder and Hon Gen Secretary of National Liver Foundation said,“MOGS has been at the forefront of ensuring the highest standards of clinical care to women, and this commitment to ensuring prevention of mother to child transmission of hepatitis B advances their credentials to providing the best standard of care to both mother and the newborn.”

Dr Bipin Pandit, President, Mumbai Obstetric and Gynaelcological Society President said, “This opportunity should not be missed, and as Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, we are uniquely placed to receive the baby and ensure that the hepatitis B vaccine is administered within hours of birth, while the mother and newborn baby are still within our care.”

Dr Roy Patankar, Gastroenterologist, Zen Multi-specialty Hospital said, “Mothers can pass hepatitis B virus to their babies while child birth without knowing it, as it is transmitted via blood and body fluid (Even small amount of infected fluid can pass infection). So it is always good to be aware of maternal status of virus by doing appropriate blood investigation.Younger babies are always at more risk of developing chronic hepatitis B (if infected), which is life- long disease and is potentially serious disease. By vaccination we can prevent young age hepatitis B, and related liver disease and liver cancer secondary to hepatitis B.In case, if mother is infected, then there’s additional medicine called “hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG)” soon after baby is born.”