On the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day (28 July) themed Know Hepatitis, Act Now, the Ministry of Health had provided information of the hepatitis infection in the country at a press brief yesterday.

As per the Ministry, hepatitis especially hepatitis B and C develop secretly yet they bring serious complications and cause high mortality rate.

At present, Vietnam is one of the countries that hepatitis B infections have reached an alarming rate as 6-20 percent of among groups of its population and hepatitis C infection are 0.2 - 4 percent of amongst group of people.

Additionally, hepatitis have also caused financial burden for residents. Worse, hospitals in the country have also recorded cases of hepatitis A, D and E infections.

Through study, 15-25 percent of those ranging from the age of 18 to 60 whose donate their blood for the very first time have hepatitis virus. The rate of hepatitis B in healthy people and pregnant women fluctuate from 10 - 20 percent.

Head of The Health Ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine Dr. Tran Dac Phu pointed out pregnant women with hepatitis have transmitted hepatitis virus to their babies during delivery; thus it explains why children suffer chronic hepatitis.

Studies showed that 90 percent of kids with hepatitis B after birth are at risk of having chronic hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus, which can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to medical experts.

Accordingly the World Health Organization decided to choose July 28 as the World Hepatitis Day to call for nations and its partners to build strategies against the dangerous disease and increase people’s awareness of hepatitis.

The WHO recommends that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible after birth, preferably within 24 hours. The birth dose should be followed by two or three shots to complete the primary series.

Source: SGGP