It's World Hepatitis Day 🎗️, and China has some big news! The country is making significant strides in preventing and controlling hepatitis, a liver inflammation that can lead to severe disease and even cancer.
Thanks to enhanced monitoring and comprehensive interventions, infections from hepatitis are steadily declining in China. Chang Jile, deputy head of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, highlighted that the prevalence rate of hepatitis B surface antigen has been continuously falling, especially among kids under five, where it's now controlled to below 1%. Talk about a health win! 🏆
Hepatitis B is a major global health issue, and China's progress is a big deal. When people talk about hepatitis, they're usually referring to the highly infectious types caused by viruses—types A, B, C, D, and E.
Get this: The incidence rate of hepatitis A in China dropped from 55.69 per 100,000 people in 1991 to just 1.06 per 100,000 in 2020! And hepatitis E? It remains low at 1.85 per 100,000 in 2021, according to Li Jian from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC).
But wait, there's more! Treatment for viral hepatitis in China has seriously leveled up. More patients are getting standard treatment, with the antiviral cure rate for hepatitis C patients exceeding 95%. 🎉
The National Cancer Center reports that new cases of liver cancer in China are showing a downward trend, with around 367,700 new cases in 2022 and a standardized incidence rate of about 15.03 per 100,000 people.
China’s efforts align with the WHO's global hepatitis elimination strategy, aiming to reduce new infections by 90% and deaths by 65% between 2016 and 2030. The goal is also to increase diagnosis rates to 90% and treatment rates to 80%.
China in Action 🇨🇳
China is all about that prevention-first approach, integrating prevention and treatment, with the whole society pitching in to eliminate hepatitis. At a convention promoting World Hepatitis Day, Chang emphasized the nation's commitment to this cause.
By 2030, China aims to have a comprehensive disease control system, with disease control and prevention institutions as the backbone, medical institutions as support, and community-level medical and healthcare providers as the final safety net, according to a document released in December 2023.
Plus, the prices of antiviral medications have been lowered through bulk procurement and negotiations. Antiviral meds for hepatitis B are now covered by basic medical insurance, and those for hepatitis C have been added to the national list of essential medicines. That means less financial stress for patients! 💰👍
Stepping Up Screening 🩺
Despite the progress, China's quest to eliminate hepatitis viruses isn't over yet. Experts point out challenges like a significant population of hepatitis virus carriers and patients, limited capacity at grassroots medical services, social stigma around hepatitis patients, and low public awareness.
Approximately 75 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B in China, says Yin Zundong from China CDC.
Experts are calling for ramped-up diagnosis and treatment to identify those who are undiagnosed and untreated. This is crucial to reducing severe liver disease cases.
Li notes that China's diagnosis and treatment rates for hepatitis B are significantly below the WHO's 2030 targets.
Zhang Wenhong, head of the National Medical Center for Infectious Diseases, emphasizes the importance of strengthening grassroots medical services, integrating hospitals with disease prevention institutions, and multidisciplinary cooperation.
Wang Yu, chairman of the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control, calls for enhanced management of hepatitis patients throughout the disease course and early liver cancer monitoring among those with chronic hepatitis.
According to the latest reform resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, efforts will be made to improve the country's public health system, promoting collaboration and integration between hospitals and disease prevention institutions.
China will also boost capacities for disease monitoring and early warning, risk assessment, epidemiological investigation, testing and inspection, emergency response, and treatment.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
