By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, July 28: The Department of Health of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) today organized talk on Hepatitis prevention and a day-long free Hepatitis-B check up to mark the world Hepatitis day here in McLeod Ganj.
“The number of Hepatitis patients in our exile community is increasing and keeping that in mind, we are aiming to reduce the number of Hepatitis patients as far as possible. Currently, Hepatitis patients count is 8.9 percent of the total exile-population and we aim to reduce it to two percent in the next 20-30 years,” said Tenzin Dolkar of DOH at the sideline of the awareness talk.
She added that their concern is more towards children in various Tibetan schools by facilitating free vaccinations, check ups and guidance.
According to the survey conducted by the DOH, major concentrations of Hep-B patients are in remote Tibetan settlements in Mewo, Tezu and Ladakh.
“The survey also indicated that the number in the newly arrived from Tibet is also high. It is mainly due to either lack of awareness or they are born with it. Tibetans living in remote place without proper medical facilities have higher chance of catching the disease and pregnant women with the illness unknowingly transfer it to their newborn,” Dolkar said.
Tenzin Soepa, a nun at Gaden Choeling nunnery, who has been tested positive for Hep-B said, “I started taking medicines only after one of staff at the nunnery passed away because of the illness. Since I have been taking medication.” She also added that she was not aware of the fatality of the disease before the death of her fellow nun. The 61-year old, while expressing her concerns over the disease, expressed gratitude to the exile Tibetan government for providing subsidized medicine.
Kunphen, a Tibetan NGO also carried out an awareness march through the streets of McLeod Ganj to spread awareness about Hep B.
According WHO, around 400 million people are affected with viral hepatitis globally and is responsible for 1.4 million deaths each year, which makes it more dangerous than HIV/AIDS and malaria and TB combined.
