Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, JUNE 9
Northeastern states including Nagaland is expected to benefit from Abbott pharmaceuticals’ launch of a free diagnosis program for liver health, ‘Initiative of Diagnosis of Liver Health and Raise Hepatitis C Awareness’ in India.
Abbott, India’s leading multinational healthcare company, announced on June 9, Tuesday , the launch of ‘LiverHealth’, an initiative aimed at providing access to easy diagnosis of liver health and raising awareness about Hepatitis-C (an infectious disease affecting the liver, caused by the Hepatitis C Virus) condition in India.Through the first time-in-India project, people in states with high prevalence of Hepatitis-C infection will have an opportunity to have their liver health checked for free through a non-invasive liver imaging technology. The high-prevalence states are Punjab, Haryana, National Capital Region and the north eastern states.
In a matter of a few minutes, the technology scans and determines the stage of liver infections. It is also regarded as a reliable alternative for liver biopsy, an invasive technique currently used in defining the stage of liver disease.
People at high risk of Hepatitis-C in the states of Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland can call the toll free number: 1800 209 5222 to know about the nearest place where the free liver health diagnosis is available in their city and for further information on the initiative.
Hepatitis C virus causes chronic infection of the liver leading to cirrhosis and may cause liver cancer. Its symptoms are not obvious and often people come for treatment at an advanced stage of liver disease,” said Dr B. D. Goswami, Guwahati Medical College in Guwahati of Assam. “Hepatitis C is preventable and curable if detected and treated early. While blood tests can help determine if a person is a HCV carrier, it is important to assess the liver properly and thoroughly before the initiation of treatment against Hepatitis C.”
“Abbott believes that good health is the starting point for achieving the most in life,” said Rehan A. Khan, Managing Director, Abbott India Limited. “We’ve been helping people in India live healthier lives for over a century and our deep understanding of the country helps us effectively identify and address unmet needs.
We believe that this ‘LiverHealth’ initiative will help people seek timely diagnosis of their liver health and treatment if needed thereby helping them live fuller lives through better health. We plan to reach out to about 1.5 lakh people in 2015 through this initiative.”
Meanwhile, Abbott also announced the launch of the generic version of sofosbuvir–a novel, once-daily oral treatment for people with Hepatitis C infection. Sofosbuvir opens a new era in treating chronic HCV infection by increasing sustained virologic response (SVR) rates, higher cure rates, a two-to-four fold reduction in duration of treatment depending on the genotype while also minimizing treatment-related side effects. Sofosbuvir should be used together with ribavirin or in combination with Peg interferon alfa and ribavirin to treat chronic Hepatitis-C infection. Hepatitis-C is an infectious disease that affects the liver. It is caused by the Hepatitis-C virus. Hepatitis-C virus is a globally-prevalent pathogen and a leading cause of death and morbidity. It spreads primarily through blood-to-blood or body fluid contact associated with poorly sterilized medical equipment and transfusions.
