DOH, partners raise hepatitis awareness

PDRRMO chief Josefina Timoteo said

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Department of Health (DOH) and its partners collaborated in raising awareness for Viral Hepatitis in celebration of World Hepatitis Day.

This activity aims to call for collaborations in heightening awareness on the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change towards proactively responding to the calls of the program.

DOH Regional Director Corazon Flores said this event calls for a unified and harmonized approach for program implementation and a call to brave the effects of COVID-19 to assure streamlined program implementation.

“With estimated 10 percent of adult Filipinos with chronic Hepatitis B and 0.58 percent prevalence rate for Hepatitis C, a great deal of collaboration needs to be done at all levels," Flores said.

"This is also a great reminder for us, that as we fight the COVID-19 Pandemic, we should not also forget and try our best to integrate our efforts in responding to other epidemics existing long before," she furthered.

This year’s theme, “Hepatitis Can’t Wait" accentuates the need for an impactful multisectoral commitment to push the program.

On the other hand, DOH 3 Viral Hepatitis Program Manager Joseph Michael Manlutac reiterated the importance of a prepared service delivery portfolio to cater to the evolving needs of the clients in the light of Universal

Health Care.

"In Central Luzon, we have 51 access points for free Hepatitis B testing and treatment and six for Hepatitis C," Manlutac said.

In celebration of the World Hepatitis Day, local implementers conducted online awareness, fora, intensified testing, advocacy on the importance of birth dose and adult vaccination for Hepatitis B, condom distribution, among other related demand generation activities.

DOH Central Luzon is the pilot demonstration site for Hepatitis B Treatment in the country with more than 100 clients on continuous treatment.