Andhra Pradesh: IMA state chief urges government to take steps to combat Hepatitis in children

In a letter addressed to Health Secretary, Dr Raju said WHO had issued new tools to help countries respond to unusual cases of severe acute hepatitis in children.
Representational image of Hepatitis B.
Representational image of Hepatitis B.

VIJAYAWADA: Dr C Srinivasa Raju, IMA State president, has urged the government to take measures to combat Hepatitis, especially in children, in view of the possibility of the outbreak of acute hepatitis among them as indicated by the WHO (World Health Organisation) reports.

In a letter addressed to Health Secretary MT Krishna Babu on Sunday, Dr Raju said WHO had issued new tools to help countries respond to unusual cases of severe acute hepatitis (liver inflammation) in children, including how to find and report the cases. The detection of cases across five World Health Organisation Regions is unusual and warrants detailed investigation.

“While a few cases of acute hepatitis of unknown cause are reported in children every year, some countries indicated that this year the number has been unusually high,” Dr Raju cautioned. According to the IMA State president, 33 countries have reported 920 probable cases till June, but the actual cause remains unknown and it is being investigated.

The actual number of cases may be underestimated due to limited surveillance in some places. The case count is likely to rise as more information and verified data have become available now, the IMA State president feared. Dr Raju urged the Medical and Health Department to be on high alert and initiate all precautionary measures, besides making efforts to know if there are any such infections in the State.

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