Anti-hepatitis month campaign starts in Kazakhstan

Organizations of primary health care will hold open house where people can get free advice from infectious disease physicians, gastroenterologist; hepatologist on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis, and pass screening procedures.

The purpose of the event is to attract public attention to the issues of strengthening prevention, screening and control of viral hepatitis and its related diseases.

It should be reminded that viral hepatitis - a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, which affect hundreds of millions of people around the world, causing acute and chronic liver disease and causing almost1.4 million deaths annually, mainly from hepatitis B and C.

The cause of hepatitis A and E is usually consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of contact with infected body fluids. Some common ways of transmission include transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment. Hepatitis B is also transmitted from mother to child during childbirth, from family members to a child, and during sexual intercourse.

In view of the above, it is necessary to take individual protection measures such as consumption of safe food and water; use of disposable needles and syringes for injection; safe sex using regular condoms; to have cosmetic procedures (tattoos, piercings, etc..) in institutions that have a license; vaccination of children against hepatitis B according to the national immunization schedule.