Context:

• The health department of Rajasthan conducted screening of high-risk group people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV), for viral hepatitis.

Key Points:

• Since the health department is targeting elimination of viral hepatitis, the survey will help in chalking out strategy to achieve the target.
• The screening was conducted utilising existing machinery of HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) of National AIDS Control Programme (NACP).
• The department concluded that out of 41,365 people living with HIV who underwent screening for hepatitis, 616 were infected with the virus, which brings the positivity rate of around 1.5%.
• Apart from that, the health department has stepped up efforts for vaccinating children against hepatitis. From April 1 to July 20, the health department officials vaccinated two lakh children against hepatitis B.
• Besides, 666 pregnant women were found infected with the viral hepatitis and out of the 664 children born to them were vaccinated against viral hepatitis.

• According to the health department officials, since most of the infected people are unaware that they are carrying hepatitis virus, they may spread the virus to others unknowingly. Most of the infected people come to know about carrying hepatitis virus when they donate blood, since there is a set procedure for mandatory blood test that has to be done before blood donation.
• Aiming to prevent the infection, the health department has launched the campaign for identifying such cases and providing them free treatment.
• Since Hepatitis A virus and Hepatitis E virus is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, principally via contaminated water, the health department has asked the Public Health Engineering department to check the quality of sources of drinking water by taking and testing water samples.
• For the efforts made since April 1 in prevention and control of viral hepatitis, Health secretary, Rajasthan Dr Prithvi Raj was felicitated by the Centre and the World Health Organization for the achievements of the Healthy Liver Campaign under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program.