Drug abuse is on top as a political issue in Punjab in the ongoing campaign for the general elections 2014, but its adverse impact on the health of youth, especially their liver is far more over-reaching than the root cause, say experts.
World is celebrating International liver Day on April 19, but on the other hand, Punjab, which was once synonymous with fitness is slowly and gradually losing the liver of its most productive demography, to deadly HCV virus.Every 12th person in the world suffers from Hepatitis B or C out of the total 710 crore populations all over the world, says experts. Around 80-100 new patients of HBV and HCV visit the Post Graduate institute of Medical Research and Education for treatment every month.
According to a study, conducted by Dr Ajit Sood, Professor and Head of Department Medicine of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, ludhiana, HCV prevalence rate in Punjab is 5.2 per cent, which is increasing exponentially in the age group of 24-59 years.
If it is not brought under control then Punjab may soon top the chart, among States of India, with highest number of liver patients, says Dr Varinder Singh of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.The hepatological health of Punjab is under threat from various factors. High rate of drug abuse, especially injection drugs, alcohol abuse, polluted ground water reserve, and sedentary life style has added to the grim picture of poor liver health in the state.
On one hand, doctors are wary about the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver in the urban areas, given to the sedentary life style of the denizens, on the other hand, the liver of the rural population is being marred by drug abuse and high consumption of alcohol resulting into Hepatitis B and C and alcoholic fatty liver.
According to a study published in the medical journal, there was predominantly rural distribution, with 67.3 per cent of patients suffering from Hepatitis C, with maximum cases from ludhiana district amounting to 30.04 per cent.The data in the journal suggests that highest frequency of Hepatitis C infection was found in the middle aged, 41-60 years patients with male predominance. High proportions, of 44.8 per cent of the patients included in the study were incidentally detected with Hepatitis C infection on routine screening.
It was also found during the course of the study that prevalence of Hepatitis C is high in the bordering areas of Pakistan as drug abuse was high in these areas namely Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Batala and the Government has failed to check the menace in these areas. Prevalence rate of HCV infection in Mullanpur (district ludhiana) was also found to be the highest (5.2 per cent) as compared to other areas in India and possibly in South Asia
“These diseases, being silent killers with long gestation periods, have so far not attracted the attention of the policy makers. Our attempt would be to draw the attention of policy makers and draw up a comprehensive policy towards addressing the issue,” said Dr Samir Shah, the Founder Trustee of National liver Foundation (NlF) and Head of the Department of Hepatology, Global Hospitals Mumbai.A huge threat that looms large in Punjab as Hepatitis C is a sexually transmitted disease and as it has a high gestation period, there are many incidents especially in rural areas where the disease in diagnosed only after the whole family is infected due to lack of awareness, says experts.