BD steps up fight against hepatitis
Social Welfare Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain on Tuesday said expanding advanced hepatitis B treatment in Bangladesh would reduce the need for patients to seek treatment abroad while lowering medical expenses.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Gastroenterology Society of Bangladesh at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) to mark World Hepatitis Day, the minister said Bangladesh’s healthcare system must adopt modern technology and international expertise to improve specialised treatment.
“The country’s healthcare system needs to acquire modern technology and international expertise to move forward,” he said.
This year’s World Hepatitis Day is being observed under the theme: “Elimination for Everyone, Everywhere, Right Now.”
The minister warned that a large number of people in Bangladesh are living with fatty liver disease without being aware of their condition.
He said the prevalence of fatty liver disease is increasing steadily because of excessive carbohydrate consumption and urged greater public awareness to help address the growing health concern.
Highlighting medical education, Zahid referred to the appointment of Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, Emeritus Professor of Hepatology at Imperial College London, to the Department of Hepatology at BMU.
He said involving foreign and regional experts in assessing students against international and regional standards would significantly improve the quality of medical education and encouraged other medical colleges to adopt similar initiatives.
During the programme, members of the Gastroenterology Society of Bangladesh called for mandatory hepatitis B screening for all pregnant women.
Describing the proposal as timely, the minister assured the organisers of his full support in helping implement the initiative.
Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson presented the keynote paper at the event.
World Hepatitis Day is observed annually to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, promote prevention and improve access to diagnosis and treatment.
This year’s campaign focuses on eliminating hepatitis through universal access to screening, care and treatment.
