Reporter Zhang Jiazhen intern Dang Sitong
28 July 2021 is the 11th World Hepatitis Day. The publicity theme of the World Health Organization is "Eliminate hepatitis, the time is not waiting for me", the National Health Commission Disease Control Bureau determined that this year's publicity theme is "active prevention, active detection, standardized treatment, and comprehensive curbing of hepatitis harm", aiming to call on the public to actively vaccinate against hepatitis, take the initiative to conduct physical examinations, understand the health status of the liver, hepatitis patients receive standardized treatment, and comprehensively curb the threat of viral hepatitis to human health. As a common disease, how should hepatitis be correctly understood? How to prevent this "silent killer" around you? How should it be treated scientifically? These are the key issues of concern.
On July 23, patients who came to check and follow up for examination lined up at the entrance of the Infectious Disease Department of Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University. Since hepatitis prevention and treatment is a long-term systematic project, many patients have become "old acquaintances" of Wang Jiuping, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Xijing Hospital of air force military medical university. "The early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis is very important, and it is necessary to mobilize the whole society to pay attention to viral hepatitis, improve the public's awareness of active prevention and control, actively carry out relevant tests, early prevention, early detection, early treatment, and timely control the progression of viral hepatitis disease." Wang Jiuping said.
Among the patients Wang Jiuping had treated, a pair of brothers had left a deep impression on her. After his brother developed symptoms such as fatigue and loss of appetite, he came to Xijing Hospital for examination and found that he had primary liver cancer, and died shortly thereafter. Wang Jiuping tracked down and found that the patient's brother was also a cirrhosis patient and found early small liver cancer. "Because we found out early, we did a liver transplant for the patient, and now the patient is recovering very well. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment is very important. Wang Jiuping said.
Hepatitis is a general term for liver inflammation, and the most common one in China is viral hepatitis. According to Wang Jiuping, there are five main types of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E. Viral hepatitis is the category B infectious disease with the largest number of reported cases of notifiable infectious diseases in China. It is estimated that there are about 86 million people living with hepatitis B virus in the country, of which about 28 million are chronic hepatitis B patients who need treatment, about 4.5 million people are hepatitis C patients, and hepatitis B and C are the most likely to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Over the past 30 years of medical practice, Wang Jiuping has noticed that China has continuously increased its prevention and control efforts, and the epidemic situation of viral hepatitis has been effectively controlled. Of all hepatitis, hepatitis B has been the highest reported case for many years. In view of the prevention of hepatitis B, Wang Jiuping believes that at present, hepatitis B vaccination is the safest and most effective measure.
China implements the strategy of giving priority to newborns against hepatitis B vaccine, including hepatitis B vaccine in children's immunization management in 1992, hepatitis B vaccine into children's immunization in 2002, and realizing free vaccination of newborns in 2005. Through the implementation of the "prevention-oriented" hepatitis B immunization prevention strategy, the full vaccination rate of newborn hepatitis B vaccine in China has been greatly improved.
At the same time, the state has included some hepatitis drugs in the medical insurance list, reduced drug prices, and widely publicized the knowledge and common sense of viral hepatitis. Health administrative departments have also further adjusted and improved the prevention and treatment strategy of viral hepatitis, accelerated the standardized management of vaccination, encouraged vaccine research and development innovation, improved the health literacy of hepatitis prevention and treatment of the masses, gradually shifted the focus of hepatitis prevention and treatment from the traditional "treatment" to "prevention, treatment and rehabilitation management", and promoted mutual exchanges and resource sharing among medical and health institutions at all levels.
"We often link up and down to go to grassroots hospitals to exchange information about the progress of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other hepatitis prevention and treatment. On World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, we also went to the grassroots level to promote the prevention and treatment of hepatitis. Wang Jiuping said.
In addition, Wang Jiuping mentioned that hepatitis C is a very hidden disease, and even daily tattoos, ear piercings and other behaviors may lead to hepatitis C upper body, after infection, even acute patients may not feel discomfort. At present, there is no corresponding vaccine for hepatitis C, and it mainly relies on the treatment of hepatitis C patients to reduce infection.
The biggest feature of hepatitis is that it is occult. This is because the liver is an organ without nerve endings, and this "silent organ" often does not react much to even if it is damaged. In fact, many hepatitis patients, because of the lack of timely discovery and treatment, or do not pay attention to, coupled with drinking, medication and other reasons caused multiple damage, so that hepatitis into cirrhosis, liver cancer speed greatly accelerated, by the time of discovery is already late. What cannot be ignored is that due to the long-term accumulation of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other virus carriers and patient population base, coupled with insufficient social force mobilization, public awareness is limited, the prevention and treatment of viral hepatitis still requires the continuous efforts of all sectors of society.
Wang Jiuping reminded that the hepatitis B vaccine is not "once and for all" after injection, and after adults inject hepatitis B vaccine, the duration of antibodies is different for each person, and the immune function between individuals varies greatly. For people who may be in close contact with hepatitis B virus carriers, Wang Jiuping recommends that the antibody be tested for decay every 3 to 5 years. In addition, many people have low awareness of hepatitis C, and high-risk patients lack awareness of active screening, and screening for hepatitis C should be strengthened. It is necessary to mobilize the forces of all sectors of society to jointly fight hepatitis, a major disease that endangers human health, and promote the continuous new progress of China's hepatitis prevention and treatment cause.
Source: Shaanxi Daily