Hepatitis awareness app launched

National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh yesterday launched a mobile app “Learn about Hepatitis and Live Well” in Bangla targeting almost 300 million Bangla-speaking people across the world to create awareness about the fatal diseases -- hepatitis B and C. The app is available on Google Play Store and can be downloaded for free, they said.

“It is actually a special dictionary about viral hepatitis. People can learn about liver transplant, food, vaccination procedure, hepatitis in pregnancy, liver function tests, among others,” Zunaid Paiker, chief coordinator of the foundation, told The Daily Star.

Prof Mohammad Ali, its general secretary, gave a keynote speech at a seminar yesterday on World Hepatitis Day, observed by 194 member countries of World Health Organization (WHO) and 230 patient organisations of World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), at the capital's The Daily Star Centre, organised by National Liver Foundation.

This year's theme was elimination, eradication of hepatitis and introducing the “Nohep” slogan to root out hepatitis by 2030, he said.

Around four to seven percent of the country's population is infected by hepatitis B and about one percent has hepatitis C, said Prof Ali mentioning that above three percent of the pregnant women is carrying hepatitis B.

“The viruses are transmitted from mothers to the newborns. Awareness is the best way of preventing the fatal viruses,” he observed.

But people should not rely on unscientific treatment, Prof Ali said, adding that the government's involvement in the prevention and treatment of the fatal hepatitis diseases is still not satisfactory.

Prof AQM Mohsen, vice president of the foundation, chaired the seminar where Prof Anisur Rahman, its joint secretary general, also spoke. They highlighted timely diagnosis to avoid hepatitis risks.