YARSI University Postgraduate Director, Prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama asked for concrete steps to control hepatitis through the implementation of the newly passed Health Law.
“Of course it is necessary to hasten more detailed rules for implementation in government regulations that will be drafted to implement the Health Law in the field,” said Tjandra Yoga Aditama when confirmed regarding World Hepatitis Day 2023 in Jakarta, Friday.
He said one of the important points that required government intervention through the Health Law relates to the treatment of Hepatitis C patients using direcy acting antivirus (DAA).
DAA treatment, which started in 2017, is still facing challenges, because the availability of drugs is not fully guaranteed in Indonesia, said Tjandra.
To prevent transmission from mothers with HBsAg (+) to babies, said Tjandra, Hepatitis B Immune Globulin (HBlg) is provided, Hepatitis B vaccination 1 to 3, and starting in 2023, preventive treatment with Tenofovir is given.
Also read: Timang Sumiati Charged with Violating the Health Law
Tjandra, who is also the former WHO Southeast Asia Director of Communicable Diseases, said that the government needs to increase public knowledge about hepatitis.
In addition, said Tjandra, access to comprehensive health services ranging from prevention, screening, testing, treatment and treatment monitoring still needs to be improved.
“Currently there needs to be an adequate portion of health transformation to control hepatitis,” he said.
Tjandra said hepatitis is caused by a virus and can be differentiated into Hepatitis A which is transmitted through contaminated food or drink and is usually mild.
Hepatitis B and C are transmitted through blood, body fluids or unprotected sex and can cause chronic liver disease. Vaccinations are available to prevent hepatitis A and B, said Tjandra.
Tjandra said the burden of Hepatitis B in Indonesia until 2013 was reported to be around 7.1 percent or the equivalent of 18 million sufferers. Hepatitis C is 1 percent or the equivalent of 2.5 million sufferers.
“Hepatitis cirrhosis is at least 175,211 cases related to the 2022 National Health Insurance (JKN) program,” he said.
The former Director General of Disease Control and the former Head of Research and Development Center of the Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that there were 81,299 cases of Hepatitis B that had been treated in 2019-2021.
Also read: IDI asks for the substance of the Health Bill to be made transparent ahead of ratification
Coverage of hepatitis B in the group of pregnant women in 2022 will reach 3,254,139 patients. “Hepatitis C coverage from 2017 to June 2023, 858,465 anti-HCV tests were carried out which found 35,286 positive anti-HCV, 11,553 viral load detected and 9,527 treated,” he said.
July 28 is World Hepatitis Day, which is commemorated by the international community every year, determined by the World Health Assembly (World Health Assembly).World Health Assembly/WHA) 63rd in May 2010.
July 28 is also the birthday of the figure who discovered the virus and developed the hepatitis B vaccine, Baruch Samuel Blumberg.
WHO chose the theme for World Hepatitis Day this year One Life, One Liver. While the theme in Indonesia is “Get Tested and Treated, Hepatitis Does Not Wait”.
This news has been published on Antaranews.com with the title: Experts ask for concrete steps to overcome hepatitis through the Health Act
Editor : Moh Ponting
COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Ambon, Maluku 2023
2023-07-28 03:01:15
#Experts #concrete #steps #overcome #hepatitis #Health #Law #ANTARA #News #Ambon #Maluku
