India's Fight to Combat Hepatitis (PIB Backgrounder)

📌 Summary:

• India is working towards its 2030 goal of combating hepatitis via the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP, launched 2018), using a health-systems approach with free drugs and diagnostics
• Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by viruses, toxins (alcohol, drugs) or autoimmune disease; of five main hepatitis viruses, types B and C most commonly cause chronic disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer
• Transmission & prevention: Hep A & E spread via faecal-oral (contaminated food/water) and are usually self-limiting (prevention = safe water/sanitation); Hep B spreads mainly mother-to-child and via blood/fluids and is vaccine-preventable (birth dose within 24 hours, then 6/10/14 weeks); Hep C spreads via unsafe injections/blood, has no vaccine but is curable in 12–24 weeks with pan-genotypic Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs); Hep D affects only chronic HBV carriers and is prevented by the Hep B vaccine
• NVHCP covers Hepatitis A–E with preventive, promotive and curative interventions, free diagnosis/treatment, and a paperless NVHCP-MIS portal; Hep A & E outbreaks tracked via the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program
• Seroprevalence (2021 HIV Sentinel Surveillance): ~0.85% positive for Hepatitis B and ~0.29% for Hepatitis C (roughly 1 in 118 and 1 in 345 people)
• Integrated with other programmes: RMNCAH+N (universal screening of pregnant women for Hep B), Universal Immunization Program (100% birth dose + HBIG for newborns of positive mothers), and NACP (screening of high-risk groups)

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — health governance, disease-control programmes and SDG-3 targets; integration of health-system delivery

📝 Prelims Facts:

• NVHCP launched 2018; targets combating hepatitis by 2030 (aligned with SDG)
• Hep B & D are vaccine-preventable; Hep C curable with DAAs; no Hep C vaccine
• 2021 seroprevalence: Hep B ~0.85%, Hep C ~0.29%

🔑 Key Term: Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs) — pan-genotypic drugs that cure Hepatitis C in nearly all patients within 12–24 weeks.