Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: Maharashtra, the third major contributor to Hepatitis B burden in the country, has decided to relaunch its ‘Winning over mothers with hepatitis B’ (Womb) initiative.
It was started by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) along with a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to curb mother-to-child transmission of viral hepatitis in 2022.
It aimed to spread awareness about prevention and control of Hepatitis B, especially among mothers and newborns.
The ailment infects over 40 million people in India and most patients continue to suffer as the society largely remains weighed down by misconceptions related to the disease. “It is a national awareness drive aimed at generating awareness on various mind and body conditions (of Hepatitis B patients) and providing holistic and broad stakeholder engagements, with the overall objective of promoting healthy living,” said an official.
Dr Shiv K Sarin, Director and Chancellor, ILBS, and Dr Arti Ahuja, former secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment expressed concern at the discrimination faced by hepatitis B patients. They spoke about the need to ensure vaccination and importance of information dissemination through persistent efforts to end the shame associated with the disease.
“In India, the focus is more on treatment and less on preventive aspects and citizens should focus on staying healthy instead of depending on doctors for treatment at a later stage,” said Dr Ahuja. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry is the CSR partner in the cause.
