• Sujal Pradhan, NET Correspondent, Sikkim 

Commemorating the ‘World Hepatitis Day’, the Sikkim Drug Users’ Forum today organized a Hep B & C literacy and screening program under the theme “bringing hepatitis care closer to you”.

The day is observed annually on July 28, with the aim to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and its global impact.

This year theme for World Hepatitis Day is “Bringing Hepatitis Care Closer to You”, call for the need to simplify and bring hepatitis care to primary health facilities, community-based venues and locations beyond hospital sites, so that care is closer to communities and people wherever they are.

Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C can lead to lifelong infection. WHO estimates that 1.1 million deaths occurred in 2019 due to these infections and their effects including liver cancer, cirrhosis, and other conditions caused by chronic viral hepatitis.

According to the Coordinator of Sikkim Drugs Users’ Forum – Prashant Sharma, “before 2019 screening and testing was not there for Hep B and C but after the legislation in the year 2019 state government too started testing and screening so now patient don’t have to worry.”

The Co-founder of Drugs Users’ Forum – Rinzing Bhutia shared “Only after 2019 when National programme was made after legislation in parliament, Sikkim too started screenings and testing, otherwise the Sikkim administration failed to provide the lifesaving drug to cure and before 2019.”

While, the President of Sikkim Drug Users’ Forum – Tshewang Sherpa, “we are trying to spread awareness across communities among IV users.”