Bengal closer to Hep B elimination, says study
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
While this has been achieved, health officials on World Hepatitis Day on Monday said the state is looking at meeting other benchmarks that will aid in eliminating Hepatitis by 2030.
Over the past few years, the state health department took up several measures for early intervention. These include screening pregnant mothers, administering the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth to newborns, and providing immunoglobulin to babies born to a mother who is a carrier of the virus.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, causing damage to the organ.
On Sunday, the state director of services, Swapan Saren, presented the current hepatitis scenario in the state, the intervention measures, the improvement, and suggested the way forward to achieve the elimination of the disease by 2030. "With the prevalence of 0.07% among children below five, we have touched one of the benchmarks of control of vertical transmission set by WHO.
The state is close to vertical transmission elimination indicators of Hep B.
We will be working on meeting other criteria," said public health specialist Pallav Bhattacharya, former state programme officer for the National Viral Hepatitis Programme.
According to officials, Bengal so far is the only state to have come out with such data. The national estimate of Hepatitis B prevalence in children below five is pegged at 1.14%.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Health experts said that the chances of a Hepatitis B positive mother transmitting the virus to the newborn are as high as 90%.
"At present, all pregnant women attending govt health facilities are screened for hepatitis so we can prevent mother-to-child transmission by administering the vaccine and immunoglobulin for Hepatitis B. We are taking up various other measures to improve our achievement," said Saren.
In fact, Bengal is the first and perhaps the only state to start the project on the triple elimination of Hepatitis, syphilis, and HIV. On Monday, the Liver Foundation West Bengal, took to the digital platform to reach out to students of 23 schools in Bengal to raise awareness of viral Hepatitis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
8 hours ago
- Economic Times
India faces manpower shortage amid deepening mental health crisis
iStock Representative Image India faces a critical shortage of trained psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses, raising concerns about equitable access to mental health. As per the World Health Organization, there should be 1.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. However, the current ratio in India is only about 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, as per the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. States such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have an acute crisis in this 1- Mental Health workforce gaps States Psychiatrists per 100,000 people in India (WHO recommendation - 1.7) Clinical psychologists per 100,000 people in India (WHO recommendation - 0.7) Kerala 1.20 0.63 West Bengal 0.55 0.05 Punjab 0.46 0.04 Gujarat 0.53 0.02 Assam 0.29 0.06 Tamil Nadu 0.30 0.01 Uttar Pradesh 0.15 0.09 Rajasthan 0.10 0.02 Madhya Pradesh 0.05 0.02 Source: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Rajya Sabha on July 22, 2025 ELEMENT 2 Demand for mental health care In 2024-25, Centres of Excellence and the Departments of Psychiatry under the National Mental Health Programme handled 2.52 million outpatient department cases, including both in-person and teleconsultations. The government's Tele-MANAS helpline, launched in 2022, has received more than 2.38 million calls so far, offering support in 20 Indian languages. ELEMENT 3 Shortage of psychiatry seats The country has 1,300 MD (Psychiatry) seats across medical colleges for a population of 1.43 billion. While the number has increased 138% to 74,306 from 31,185 before 2014, mental health specialisations continue to institutes are offering Clinical Psychology there are 13,86,150 registered allopathic doctors in the country. ELEMENT 4 Clinical psychologists and nurses As per data from the Rehabilitation Council of India, there are only 4,309 clinical psychologists and 801 rehabilitation social workers registered in India. The WHO recommends 0.7 social workers per 100,000 population. In 2024-25, the National Medical Council started a BSc Clinical Psychology (Hons.) course, approving 19 universities to increase manpower in clinical psychology. ELEMENT 5 Quote: Prataprao Jadhav, Union minister of state, Ministry of Health and Family WelfareThe data regarding the number of psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors in the country at present is not maintained centrally. As per NMC website, approximately 1,300 MD psychiatry seats are available in various medical colleges. Psychiatry has now been made a compulsory subject with a dedicated question paper in MBBS. Source: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NMHS Survey 2015-16 Note: The government has sanctioned the NMHS 2 survey to be conducted in all 28 states and eight Union Territories of India.
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Hans India
APD Foundation from Mangaluru Inducted into WHO's Global Civil Society Commission
Mangaluru: In a significant international recognition, Mangaluru-based Anti Pollution Drive Foundation (APDF) has been inducted into the Civil Society Commission of the World Health Organisation (WHO), joining a global network of organisations shaping the future of public health and environmental well-being. The Commission, created by WHO to strengthen collaboration with civil society actors, focuses on key areas including primary healthcare, gender rights, health equity, and community-based health interventions. APDF's membership was confirmed through a letter jointly signed by Commission co-chairs Ravi Ram and Lisa Hilmi. The Foundation was selected from a global pool of nearly 680 applicants after a multi-phase review and due diligence process by WHO. APD Foundation has earned a reputation for pioneering projects in air quality management, inclusive sanitation, and occupational health in urban settings. Its initiatives—such as Smart Swaccha Mangaluru (in partnership with UN-Habitat), Shuddha Gaali, and Waste Wise Cities—have combined grassroots activism with data-driven policy advocacy. Commenting on the milestone, APDF founder Abdullah A. Rehman said, 'This inclusion validates our approach of combining community action with evidence-based solutions. It also brings attention to how smaller cities like Mangaluru can be models of public health innovation.' The WHO Commission held its first annual general meeting in March 2024 and laid out a two-year action plan while forming three working groups to guide engagement with global civil society. APDF's induction is seen as a move towards diversifying voices in international forums and ensuring representation from cities outside of traditional urban centres.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
India faces manpower shortage amid deepening mental health crisis
India faces a critical shortage of trained psychiatrists , psychologists and psychiatric nurses, raising concerns about equitable access to mental health. As per the World Health Organization, there should be 1.7 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. However, the current ratio in India is only about 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, as per the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. States such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have an acute crisis in this regard. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program ELEMENT 1- Mental Health workforce gaps States Psychiatrists per 100,000 people in India (WHO recommendation - 1.7) Clinical psychologists per 100,000 people in India (WHO recommendation - 0.7) Kerala 1.20 0.63 West Bengal 0.55 0.05 Punjab 0.46 0.04 Gujarat 0.53 0.02 Assam 0.29 0.06 Tamil Nadu 0.30 0.01 Uttar Pradesh 0.15 0.09 Rajasthan 0.10 0.02 Madhya Pradesh 0.05 0.02 Source: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in Rajya Sabha on July 22, 2025 ELEMENT 2 Live Events Demand for mental health care In 2024-25, Centres of Excellence and the Departments of Psychiatry under the National Mental Health Programme handled 2.52 million outpatient department cases, including both in-person and teleconsultations. The government's Tele-MANAS helpline , launched in 2022, has received more than 2.38 million calls so far, offering support in 20 Indian languages. ELEMENT 3 Shortage of psychiatry seats The country has 1,300 MD (Psychiatry) seats across medical colleges for a population of 1.43 billion. While the number has increased 138% to 74,306 from 31,185 before 2014, mental health specialisations continue to lag. Sixty-six institutes are offering Clinical Psychology courses. Overall, there are 13,86,150 registered allopathic doctors in the country. ELEMENT 4 Clinical psychologists and nurses As per data from the Rehabilitation Council of India , there are only 4,309 clinical psychologists and 801 rehabilitation social workers registered in India. The WHO recommends 0.7 social workers per 100,000 population. In 2024-25, the National Medical Council started a BSc Clinical Psychology (Hons.) course, approving 19 universities to increase manpower in clinical psychology. ELEMENT 5 Quote: Prataprao Jadhav, Union minister of state, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare The data regarding the number of psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors in the country at present is not maintained centrally. As per NMC website, approximately 1,300 MD psychiatry seats are available in various medical colleges. Psychiatry has now been made a compulsory subject with a dedicated question paper in MBBS. Source: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NMHS Survey 2015-16 Note: The government has sanctioned the NMHS 2 survey to be conducted in all 28 states and eight Union Territories of India.
