Dharamshala: The Department of Health, CTA, with funding from PRM – US, conducted biannual follow-up tests for Hepatitis B-positive patients in Dharamshala on 5 and 6 December, 2022.
Under this program of the Department, those who were Hepatitis positive and were on Anti-viral medication were screened twice a year to detect and check the severity and improvement of the case. And those who were not on treatment were screened once a year. A similar program is also being carried out in 23 Tibetan settlements under the direction of the Health Department.
A list of tests conducted for Hepatitis B patients includes:
- CBC (Complete Blood Count)
- LFT (Liver Function Test)
- HBV DNA (Viral Load)
- Serum Creatinine
- Alpha Fero Protein (AFP)
- Ultrasound
Considering the importance of regular medical evaluation every 6-12 months to assess liver health and the need for anti-viral therapy for Hepatitis B-positive patients, the Department took the initiative to test all the patients with Hepatitis B since the start of this program.
Currently, the Department is in the fourth phase of the screening and vaccination campaign. The data compiled in the three different phases are being analysed and evaluated by the experts who will publish ‘Hepatitis B prevalence and status report of the Tibetan exile community’ soon.
The program was funded by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration(PRM).
-Report filed by Department of Health, CTA
