Central government launches National Viral Hepatitis Control programme

On 2018 World Hepatitis Day (WHD), the National Viral Hepatitis Control programme has been launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in New Delhi to combat the disease by 2030 in the country. Under the initiative, free drugs and diagnostics for Hepatitis B and C will be provided at all government hospitals. This initiative will provide laboratory testing and management of viral Hepatitis with a de-centralized approach. The aim of the programme is prevention and treatment of Hepatitis which is inflammation of the liver due to a viral infection. It is among the leading causes of liver cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and acute failure of the organ. According to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-2030), diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases should be eliminated by 2030. Viral hepatitis was included as a focus area in the health related goal Goal 3.3 with world leaders pledging to fight and eliminate it by 2030.