David lelliott, deputy high commissioner of the UK joined the Rotary Club of Chandigarh and Chandigarh Gastroenterology and liver Forum at Sukhna lake on Sunday for a walkathon to spread awareness about viral hepatitis on the eve of World Hepatitis Day, which falls on Monday.
lelliott flagged off the walkathon. Gastroenterology and liver Forum president Dr Sandeep Dhavan said, “This is our chance to call for a change in attitude to viral hepatitis. Approx 1.5 million people die of hepatitis all across the globe. It is equivalent to number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS. The prevalence of Hepatitis C compared to Hepatitis B is very high in Punjab. The national figure of prevalence of hepatitis C is 3-5 percent.
Experts from PGIMER informed that about 80-100 new cases of Hepatitis B and C are seen in liver clinic every month. Paramjit Singh, president of Rotary Club of Chandigarh, referring to a global study, said: “With more and more people dying of viral hepatitis, it is becoming a global epidemic.”