November 1st, 2007, 14:28
Experts warn it is still rampant in Asia Pacific
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients still lack essential information about the disease, fuelling its spread in the Asia Pacific region, an infectious disease expert said on Monday, as she urged greater awareness to prevent new infections and save people's lives.
The 10th leading cause of death in the world, CHB affects about 360 million people - more than three quarters of affected people live in the Asia Pacific region, according to a 2001 report. CHB patients risk serious health complications, with one out of four expe-cted to die from either cirrhosis or liver cancer according to statistics.
In Asia, the percentage of the population carrying the hepatitis B virus ranges between 5 and 20 per cent depending on the country. In 2002, the journal Viral Immunology reported that five million Thais were CHB sufferers, while a 1993 report found that 71 per cent of liver-cancer patients in Thailand were hepatitis B carriers.
However, public awareness about CHB in the region remains low, even among patients who are on antiviral therapy, AsiaHep chairperson Dr Nancy Leung told a Hong Kong press conference on Monday. She cited a survey of 10 Asian countries conducted earlier this year which indicates that most patients have a poor understanding about how the virus is transmitted, believe that the disease will not have a significant impact on their lives, and do not perceive the urgency of managing their illness.
"We need to put a greater focus on educating people about CHB, the importance of regular tests for viral activity before symptoms develop, and effective treatments to prevent the progression of this potentially serious disease," Leung said.
From March to May of 2007, marketing-research firm Synovate conducted interviews with 1,500 CHB patients between the ages of 25 and 64 in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The survey found that people suffering from the "silent infection" of CHB showed no obvious symptoms in 69 per cent of cases, while in the remaining 30 per cent where the infection moved to the stage of acute hepatitis B, it can be up to six months before symptoms such as fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, nausea or jaundice are noticed. Many people do not realise they are infected and unknowingly pass the virus on.
Although most patients claimed they knew "an average or a great deal" about CHB, only 36 per cent knew it could be transmitted from mother-to-child and only 27 per cent knew about the associated risk of unprotected sex, the survey found. Many also mixed up facts about hepatitis B with hepatitis A or E, saying they got the virus from "eating infected food", while others incorrectly cited poor health and alcohol abuse.
Most hepatitis B cases in Asia are believed to originate from mother-to-child transmission. This could be prevented by giving a vaccine to an at-risk infant within 12 hours after birth, followed by a second dose one to two months later and a third dose at age six months.
The survey also found a large number of CHB patients hope for a complete recovery despite being on antiviral medication for years, Leung said, adding that their long-term goal should be to suppress the virus and prevent cirrhosis and liver cancer.
"As a doctor, I should be happy if my patients are happy. They are not worried, but I'm worried on their behalf because otherwise they won't come back when they have a disease that needs treatment, they will just let it go. A lot of patients come to me when they have serious complications such as cirrhosis or even liver cancer. By that time, their lives are seriously compromised," Leung said.
Source: The Nation, 01. Nov, 2007
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients still lack essential information about the disease, fuelling its spread in the Asia Pacific region, an infectious disease expert said on Monday, as she urged greater awareness to prevent new infections and save people's lives.
The 10th leading cause of death in the world, CHB affects about 360 million people - more than three quarters of affected people live in the Asia Pacific region, according to a 2001 report. CHB patients risk serious health complications, with one out of four expe-cted to die from either cirrhosis or liver cancer according to statistics.
In Asia, the percentage of the population carrying the hepatitis B virus ranges between 5 and 20 per cent depending on the country. In 2002, the journal Viral Immunology reported that five million Thais were CHB sufferers, while a 1993 report found that 71 per cent of liver-cancer patients in Thailand were hepatitis B carriers.
However, public awareness about CHB in the region remains low, even among patients who are on antiviral therapy, AsiaHep chairperson Dr Nancy Leung told a Hong Kong press conference on Monday. She cited a survey of 10 Asian countries conducted earlier this year which indicates that most patients have a poor understanding about how the virus is transmitted, believe that the disease will not have a significant impact on their lives, and do not perceive the urgency of managing their illness.
"We need to put a greater focus on educating people about CHB, the importance of regular tests for viral activity before symptoms develop, and effective treatments to prevent the progression of this potentially serious disease," Leung said.
From March to May of 2007, marketing-research firm Synovate conducted interviews with 1,500 CHB patients between the ages of 25 and 64 in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The survey found that people suffering from the "silent infection" of CHB showed no obvious symptoms in 69 per cent of cases, while in the remaining 30 per cent where the infection moved to the stage of acute hepatitis B, it can be up to six months before symptoms such as fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, nausea or jaundice are noticed. Many people do not realise they are infected and unknowingly pass the virus on.
Although most patients claimed they knew "an average or a great deal" about CHB, only 36 per cent knew it could be transmitted from mother-to-child and only 27 per cent knew about the associated risk of unprotected sex, the survey found. Many also mixed up facts about hepatitis B with hepatitis A or E, saying they got the virus from "eating infected food", while others incorrectly cited poor health and alcohol abuse.
Most hepatitis B cases in Asia are believed to originate from mother-to-child transmission. This could be prevented by giving a vaccine to an at-risk infant within 12 hours after birth, followed by a second dose one to two months later and a third dose at age six months.
The survey also found a large number of CHB patients hope for a complete recovery despite being on antiviral medication for years, Leung said, adding that their long-term goal should be to suppress the virus and prevent cirrhosis and liver cancer.
"As a doctor, I should be happy if my patients are happy. They are not worried, but I'm worried on their behalf because otherwise they won't come back when they have a disease that needs treatment, they will just let it go. A lot of patients come to me when they have serious complications such as cirrhosis or even liver cancer. By that time, their lives are seriously compromised," Leung said.
Source: The Nation, 01. Nov, 2007