PARBOABOA, Simalungun – Hepatitis cases affecting pregnant women in Simalungun, North Sumatra (North Sumatra), have increased significantly. It was recorded that in August-September 2023, there were 46 confirmed cases.
This figure has increased significantly compared to the period January to July 2023, which only recorded 13 cases.
Rohanta Saragih, Head of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P) at the Simalungun Health Office, stated that his party had tried hard to reduce the number of hepatitis sufferers in Simalungun Regency.
However, the challenge faced is the minimal budget allocation from the Simalungun Regency Government.
This results in the treatment of hepatitis in pregnant women at community health centers still consisting of referrals to the nearest hospital to get the necessary treatment.
“Meanwhile, for babies, we have prepared a vaccine. After the baby is born, we will give the vaccine,” added Rohanta, Friday (13/10/2023).
Hepatitis is a disease that can attack the liver and can be caused by various types of viruses, such as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Transmission of hepatitis from pregnant women to babies can occur depending on the type of hepatitis suffered by the mother.
However, currently, hepatitis B and C still dominate. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 354 million people worldwide are living with hepatitis B or C, and every year one million people die from hepatitis.
In Indonesia alone, Basic Health Research (Riskesdas) states that there are an estimated 20 million people suffering from Hepatitis B and C.
Around 7.1 percent or around 18 million people in Indonesia suffer from Hepatitis B, while around 1 percent or around 2.5 million people are infected with Hepatitis C.
Meanwhile, according to the Center for Disease Analysis (CDA) Foundation, the death rate from hepatitis B in Indonesia reached 51,100 every year, and deaths from hepatitis C amounted to 5,942 every year in 2016.
With these numbers, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis is very important.
To prevent transmission, babies born to mothers with hepatitis B need to receive hepatitis B vaccination within the first 12 hours after birth, followed by administration of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG).
Transmission of hepatitis C from pregnant women to babies is rare, but this risk is not zero, especially if the pregnant woman has a high level of viremia (amount of virus in the blood).
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but pregnant women with hepatitis C should discuss preventive measures with their doctor.
2023-10-13 11:14:15
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