The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement on the eve of World Hepatitis Day, which was yesterday, that a series of ongoing activities have been carried out to provide the local population with more knowledge about hepatitis B and C.
Under the theme “It’s time for action”, this year’s World Hepatitis Day highlights the need for collaborative action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment in countries.
In response to the aim of eliminating hepatitis set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the statement said, Macau has carried out a raft of prevention and control activities on chronic hepatitis B and C, including 17 infectious disease awareness day activities held from March to June in the city’s six gaming resort companies that involved over 4,000 participants, and two community infectious disease awareness day activities held by the Macau Federation of Trade Unions (Gung Luen) and the Women’s General Association of Macau (Fu Luen) in May, as well as providing free rapid antibody testing services for the hepatitis C virus for the general population in the health centre in Praça do Tap Seac yesterday.
Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through blood contact, especially through needle sharing, according to the statement, which pointed out that it is a major public health problem worldwide that can cause serious diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, the statement said.
According to the statement, hepatitis B is mainly spread from mother to baby at birth, or through contact with carriers’ blood or bodily fluids. The statement noted that usual social interaction such as dining together, shaking hands and hugging does not spread hepatitis B. The statement also said that studying or working together in business sectors such as hospitality, gaming, banking and F&B will not spread hepatitis B.
The statement noted that hepatitis B can lead to serious sickness, adding that as the virus cannot be eradicated once a person is infected with hepatitis B it will become a chronic disease. The statement underlined that there is no cure for hepatitis B, and in the long term the carrier might suffer from liver infection or even liver cancer.
According to local media reports, the bureau said that the new oral antiviral drugs available nowadays have fewer side effects, which can help cure chronic hepatitis C and prevent it from developing into cirrhosis and liver cancer, which are the most common causes of death. The bureau urged residents to undergo free hepatitis screening at the bureau for those who suspect that they might have contracted the disease.
For more information about hepatitis B and hepatitis C, call the bureau on 2870 0800 or visit the bureau’s official website at www.ssm.gov.mo/hepday.
This undated handout photo provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) on Saturday shows a community infectious disease awareness day activity held in May at the Women’s General Association of Macau (Fu Luen) headquarters on Rua da Barca.
