DILI, 01 august 2022 (TATOLI) – The World Health Organization (WHO is committed to supporting the government of Timor-Leste, especially the Ministry of Health (MoH) to make hepatitis treatment available at every Community Health Center (CHC) and every Health Post across the country.
WHO Representative to Timor-Leste, Arvind Mathur said bringing hepatitis care closer to the communities is very critical to combat a curable, treatable, and preventable disease like hepatitis.
“I want to call upon today for a collective effort for the elimination of hepatitis B in children under five. I think through our collective commitment will make it happen. Our goal is to ensure healthy Timorese in healthy Timor-Leste,” Mathur made the comments during a Walk the Talk to raise awareness of people on hepatitis, in Dili, on saturday.
He said the treatment costs of hepatitis B and C had come down drastically: “So, hepatitis B treatment should be now available, not only at the National Hospital but it can be made available at the CHC level and Health Care Posts as well.”
“This is what we are recommending and advocating to the government. We will also support the hepatitis treatment facilities. The details are now being worked out and WHO will continue to support MoH in bringing the treatment closer to the communities. People don’t need to come to the National Hospital to get hepatitis treatment,” he said.
Mathur said to eradicate hepatitis in Timor-Leste, one of the top priorities is the vaccination of children and the high-risk populations.
National Unit Chief of the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Transmissible Diseases, Bernardino da Cruz said of the 12.000 key populations, 2798 have received the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine, meanwhile, 1612 have received the second dose and 1240 have completed receiving the 3-Shot Hepatitis B Vaccine.
Mathur said the prevalence of hepatitis virus infection in Timor-Leste is between 6% to 15%, the highest among the high-risk populations: “WHO will support MoH with the Immunization against hepatitis B for children.”
The hepatitis B vaccine is given as a series of three shots. The first dose is given within 24 hours of birth. The second dose is given one to two months after the first dose, and the third dose is given between 6 months and 18 months of age.
So far WHO has been working closely with the Ministry of Health on developing Timor-Leste’s Integrated Strategic Plan for HIV, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), establishing a Technical Advisory Group for HIV, Hepatitis, and STI, testing and screening of Hepatitis B and hepatitis C, strengthening hepatitis B vaccination program, providing capacity building and training for health workers, supporting MoH with hepatitis B treatment, carrying out procurement of testing kits for hepatitis B and C, and raising awareness amongst young people on hepatitis.
Hepatitis B in Timor-Leste ranges from 3% to 15% of the population, which requires greater investment in prevention, treatment, and management.
Last week, the hepatologist Célia Gusmão revealed that in the second quarter of 2022, Guido Valadares National Hospital registered 333 cases of hepatitis.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), about 354 million people suffer from hepatitis B and C, with a person dying every 30 seconds from viral Hepatitis-related illness.
“South-East Asia has 20% of the global morbidity burden of hepatitis. An estimated 218,000 people died due to hepatitis in the Region in 2019. About 95% of all hepatitis-related deaths are due to cirrhosis and liver cancers caused by the hepatitis B and C virus,” said WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Poonam Khetrapal Singh.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges,
