HÀ NỘI – Chronic hepatitis is a serious medical problem in Việt Nam, and liver cancer claims the most lives, the Preventive Medicines Department under the Ministry of Health (MoH) said.

The information was released today on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.

Domestic and international studies show that 90 per cent of children suffering from hepatitis B at birth face a high risk of acquiring the chronic hepatitis B virus, said the department.

Việt Nam is one of the countries with a high rate of hepatitis B and C, with serious consequences for the sufferers, according to the MoH.

Research conducted in the country across several residential groups showed that some 6-20 per cent of residents have hepatitis B and some 0.2-4 per cent of residents have hepatitis C.

About 15-25 per cent of people between the ages of 18 and 60 who donated blood for the first time were found to have the hepatitis B virus.

Some 10-20 per cent of healthy people and pregnant women have the hepatitis B virus. The disease was then transmitted from mother to child, leading to chronic hepatitis in the children.

The hepatitis virus, especially hepatitis B and C, develops silently but remains a significant health problem for the Vietnamese, causing side effects and fatalities, said health experts.

People with hepatitis often do not have clear symptoms, but the disease can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The MoH said hepatitis B and C can be prevented and treated.

The World Health Organisation said hepatitis B and C can be prevented by injecting a vaccine against hepatitis B within 24 hours of a child being born and later injecting that child with booster doses. – VNS