Hepatitis C New Zealand

July 23, 2010

100% Pure New Zealand Hepatitis C

Filed under: Hepatitis C New Zealand — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:24 am

100% Pure New Zealand Hepatitis C

Who do I have to tell if I have Hepatitis C In New Zealand?

Hepatitis C and Disclosure

Someone asked about Hepatitis C and disclosure

With some help from the Hepatitis C resources Centre Dunedin and the New Zealand

Ministry of Health the definitive reply seems to be.

DISCLOSURE
A person with hepatitis C is not legally required to disclose his/her positive

status unless he/she is,
*A member of, or applying to join, the New Zealand defense force.
*A healthcare worker undertaking exposure-prone procedures.
*Donating blood.

Page 19 of the little yellow book of Hep C Facts,:

If you would like a copy of   the little yellow book of Hep C Facts ring

Hepatitis C Helpline New Zealand 0800 224372 (0800 22 HEPC) or email  the Otago

Hepatitis C Resource Centre hepcotago @xtra.co.nz

Hep C Concert Christchurch

Thank you to Roger Grauwmeijer Rokpx.com Roger@RokPx.com for the images from the day May 22 concert in thepark

chch11

chch82

Dunedin opened it’s new Hepatitis C resource centre

photos were taken speeches were made.

hepcopen2

An article about the opening and the centre’s worker Heath Te Au appeared in the

Otago Daily Times,

” Fresh chance inspires hepatitis C educator

Having a ruptured appendix in the 1990s may have helped save Heath Te Au’s life.

Blood tests taken at the time of this medical emergency showed that he had hepatitis C, most likely the result of sharing needles and drug equipment during a time when he was an intravenous drug user.

After his appendix removal a doctor asked him to think about what he was doing to himself.

Mr Te Au (40) said it was a wake-up call, something which led him to change his life.

He underwent treatment in 1999 and 2000 and is now clear of the blood-borne virus which had been caught early enough not to cause major liver damage.

Now, he uses his experience to help educate others in his role as manager and one of two educators at Otago’s Hepatitis C Resource Centre. ”

Where are the Hepatitis C Resources for Wellington ?

A very large proportion of the population have no access to hepatitis C resources

its’ dysfunctional and emphasis the New Zealand’s Ministry of Health’s complete

failure to address the needs of those affected and infected by the Hepatitis C

epidemic.

The New Zealand Ministry of health attempts to contact the victims of Croydon Day Clinic

Hep C tracking hampered by privacy issues

Health authorities have tested more than half the women in New Zealand potentially exposed to the hepatitis C virus in a Melbourne abortion clinic, but are being hampered by confidentiality rules which mean they cannot leave phone messages.

Fifty-six New Zealand women have called the Ministry of Health’s Healthline, concerned they had contracted the virus after James Latham Paters, an anaesthetist at Melbourne’s Croydon Day Surgery Clinic was now being investigated by police and medical authorities. More than 20 of his patients tested positive to a strain of hepatitis C identical to his own.

“The Australian Victorian health authorities have contacted 33 New Zealanders and the bulk of those have been tested,” said the ministry’s director of public health, Fran McGrath.

The New Zealand test result figures would be released as part of the Australian report once the contacting and testing process was completed. The ministry expected to have a further update in September.

Dr McGrath said contacting the women was a slow process because confidentiality requirements meant callers could not leave messages and had to repeatedly ring back.

“Even contacting one individual can take several calls followed by a registered letter, all of which can take a considerable period of time.”

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/3918567/Hep-C-tracking-hampered-by-privacy-issues

Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago Stakeholders Meeting June 16

Hep C Seminar Dunedin

Insights offered on hepatitis C, services

“Recent concern about the risk of hepatitis C to women who may have been treated at a private medical clinic in Melbourne highlights the need for increased awareness about the illness, clinical nurse specialist Margaret Fraser says.

Ms Fraser, who is the chairwoman of the reference group for Otago’s Hepatitis C Resource Centre, said there was still widespread ignorance about the condition.

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/110725/insights-offered-hepatitis-c-services

After sorting out my family commitments I arrived late at 9.20 so missed the

Opening / powhiri ,  Heath Te Au , Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago who works as

a phlebotomist and the needle exchange and Margaret Fraser the hepatitis c nurse

from Dunedin Hospital speaking about  Epidemiology and treatment of Hepatitis C

apologies that I missed them speaking.

Dr Janet Downs from the free doctor’s clinic at DIVO the Dunedin needle exchange

talked about  Hepatitis C in the community. She spoke eloquently about her work

at the needle exchange, if you live in Dunedin / Otago and want to see her at the

needle exchange free clinic for IDU Intravenous Drug Users ring the needle

exchange and make an appointment

Dr Michael Schultz, Hepatitis C and what happens if you decide against treatment

was the next speaker.

Key points  “everybody should be treated the earlier the better”

The younger you are when you begin treatment the better chance of a successful

outcome

There were some unique and disturbing aspects to the policy ?  of the Southern

District Heath Board

1, people are not able to get a second course of treatment if the first course

fails to successfully clear the hepatitis c virus.   One strike and you’re out

this just seems to be harsh when retreatment is an option in other DHB’s.

2, You have to have a biopsy in the Southern region ( Dr Schultz couldn’t

understand why anyone would complain about a biopsy as they obviously didn’t have

a problem with needles?)

A professional contact sent us this, “I contacted leading  NZ specialist expert

to clarify who needs a biopsy and who doesn’t.   Here is the response: “We have

never needed a biopsy for Gt 1 or HIV infected or haemophilia.  Only change is

for Gt 2 and 3 where now Peg/RBV is available to all rather than just those with

severe fibrosis.”
In the past only G2/G3 who has severe fibrosis could access funding, therefore

for this to be determined, a liver biopsy was needed.  The new funding for

treatment now includes all G2/G3 hep C patients; hence a liver biopsy may not be

necessary.
Interesting sounds like you may not have to have a biopsy in other DHB’s.

If a liver biopsy is a barrier to accessing treatment for some people (I think it

is) we would be better to remove it in some cases ?

Merrilee Williams RN, Otago hepatitis C nurse spoke about treating Hepatitis C

next she was knowledgeable and gave a informative presentation.

Michelle MacDonald, Psychiatric Liaison spoke on treating people with Hepatitis

C
and the neuro psychiatric effects of treatment

Depression
Fatigue
Irritability
Insomnia and sleep disturbances

She explained that preexisting mental health issues can and need to be treated

before treatment

Once these conditions are being treated they do not preclude someone from

successfully undertaking treatment.

Bill Jang, Christchurch Hepatitis C Resource Centre Te Waipounamu arrived by

helicopter (well maybe not, but he made a very brief appearance and then left) ,

he made the interesting point that the recent international 1 in 12 hepatitis

campaign was  actually one in forty New Zealanders have hepatitis B or C.

He has begun educating rest homes on Hepatitis C care.

Shame the needle exchange DIVO wasn’t there to advocate for their clients but

again they to seem to be uninterested in their client’s access to care or issues

surrounding Hepatitis C. Not surprising when the local needle exchange is now

entirely governed  and run from Christchurch as a skeleton service.

Wonder how that works with the Ottawa charter on public health. Best just ignore

best practice for public health and instead have our poorly performing health

services controlled from Christchurch.

The good news is there has been an increase in the number of people being treated

in Otago from 24 to 40. I imagine this is the people with genotype three who are

finally getting treatment after Pharmac changed the funding for treatment for

their genotype finally making it accessible.

If we do the calculation that 1% of Otago population has hep c a figure of 1800

people and the Otago/ Southern ? District Heath board treat 40 per year, we can

calculate that in just 45 years everyone would be diagnosed and treated.

Maybe Bill Jang is right about rest homes, assuming the undiagnosed infected live

that long.

It was a good opportunity to see Hepatitis C discussed in the community in such a

positive way a great morning well done to the organisers.

Their were lots of info  / pamphlets available and I picked up a glossy A4 brochure from Roche aimed at raising awareness amongst NZ General Practice Doctors which has to be a good thing.

You and Pegasys Together we can cure hepatitis C Identify and refer patients today.

gptogethercover

Roche pamphlet targeting GP’s.

With 75 % of hepatitis C patients undiagnosed it seems a timely resource

Each New Zealand GP practice on average would have 15 patients.  Most undiagnosed

and untreated.

txtrochegp

North Island Hepatitis C Resource Centre (Te Ika a Maui)

I just found this website for the North Island Hepatitis c Resouce Centre I’m

guessing it’s the replacement for the old site that seems to have disappeared the

Hepatitis C Resource Centre (Te Ika a Maui)   http://www.hepcresources.org.nz/

put on your sunglasses it’s bright with all those virus floating round.

pegypen

Best of Health

www.hcv.org.nz

August 23, 2009

Filed under: Hepatitis C New Zealand — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:16 pm

Current Clinical Drug Trials for Hepatitis C In New Zealand

New Zealand has up to six different drug trials currently in progress for Hepatitis C.
1    Recruiting     TMC435-TiDP16-C205: A Phase II Study of TMC435 in Combination With Pegylated Interferon Alpha-2a and Ribavirin in Patients Infected With Genotype 1 Hepatitis C Virus Who Never Received Treatment
Condition:     Hepatitis C
Interventions:     Drug: PegIFNalpha-2a;   Drug: PegIFNalpha-2a;   Drug: Ribavirin PegIFNalpha-2a;   Drug: Ribavirin PegIFNalpha-2a;   Drug: TMC435 TMC435 Placebo;   Drug: TMC435 Ribavirin;   Drug: TMC435 TMC435 Placebo;   Drug: TMC435 Ribavirin;   Drug: PegIFNalpha-2a;   Drug: TMC435 Placebo Ribavirin

2    Recruiting     A Study of Combination Treatment With an HCV Polymerase Inhibitor (Polymerase Inhibitor) and an HCV Protease Inhibitor (RO5190591) in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Patients
Condition:     Hepatitis C, Chronic
Interventions:     Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591;   Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591;   Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591;   Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591;   Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591;   Drug: RO5024048/RO5190591

3    Recruiting     Safety and Efficacy of MK7009 Administered With Pegylated Interferon (Peg-IFN) and Ribavirin (RBV)
Condition:     Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Interventions:     Drug: Comparator: Peg-INF;   Drug: Comparator: RBV;   Drug: Comparator: MK7009;;   Drug: Comparator: Placebo.;   Drug: Comparator: MK7009.;   Drug: Comparator: MK7009;   Drug: Comparator: Placebo;;   Drug: Comparator: Peg-INF.;   Drug: Comparator: RBV.

4    Recruiting   Safety and Tolerability Study of Clemizole Hydrochloride to Treat Hepatitis C in Subjects Who Are Treatment-Naive
Condition:     Hepatitis C
Intervention:     Drug: clemizole hydrochloride

5    Recruiting     Antiviral Activity of AZD7295 in HCV Carriers
Condition:     Hepatitis C
Interventions:     Drug: AZD7295;   Drug: Placebo

6    Recruiting     Drug-Drug Interaction Study of VCH-222 and Telaprevir in Healthy Subjects
Condition:     Hepatitis C
Interventions:     Drug: VCH-222;   Drug: VCH-222;   Drug: VCH-222;   Drug: telaprevir

Interesting to discover so many trials underway in New Zealand and these are just the current ones.  I guess if you want to get on a drug trial you are chosen as opposed to applying in most cases, but its all ways worth asking your medical provider about them.
You can read more detail at this informative site
www.ClinicalTrials.gov

ClinicalTrials.gov United States National Institutes of Health offers up-to-date information for locating federally and privately supported clinical trials for a wide range of diseases and conditions. A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study in human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings.

When drug trials go Bad

Whenever I think of drug trials I think of guinea pigs and the tragic British drug trials of March 2006, A case of guinea pig beware I guess.
“It was the first time the drug TBN1412, designed to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and leukaemia, had been tested on humans.
Within hours of taking it on Monday, the six young volunteers had to be admitted to intensive care.
Ms Marshall, 35, whose boyfriend is critically ill, said the normally healthy 28-year-old’s face was so puffed, he “looks like the Elephant Man”.
She said he was completely lifeless, unable even to move an eyelid.
“They just keep saying he’s very, very sick and we are doing all we can,” she added. “

Such clinical trials were essential for the development of new and better treatments

The Medical Research Council said that while it was “an unfortunate and extremely rare event”, such clinical trials were essential for the development of new and better treatments.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4808836.stm

Best of Heath www.hcv.org.nz

May 9, 2009

New Zealand District Health Boards and Hepatitis C

Filed under: Hepatitis C New Zealand — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 6:17 pm

Thanks to the New Zealand District Health Boards

that have already responded to our questions about Hepatitis C in New Zealand.

It has been impressive to see how the DHB’s, who have replied so far are addressing and the treatment and care of people with Hepatitis C.

A common thread seems to be the increase in access to pegylated interferon for all genotypes.

I will post survey results received on World Hepatitis Day May 19 th.

I missed the news but apparently it is no longer mandatory to have a liver biopsy before treatment can be accessed. I will try and confirm this but that is what we were told.

Hepatitis C is a notifiable disease in New Zealand,

The current case definitions for the notification of acute hepatitis C are confusing to say the least,

“Demonstration of documented seroconversion to HCV when the most recent negative specimen was within the last 12 months,

OR

Demonstration of an anti-HCV positive test or HCV RNA test and a clinical illness consistent with acute HCV within the previous 12 months where other causes of acute hepatitis can be excluded

Notifications of acute HCV are known to significantly underestimate the true number of new infections diagnosed and notified each year.

Contributing factors to under diagnosis in New Zealand may include:

  • The frequently asymptomatic nature of acute infection
  • The illegal nature of injecting drug use
  • Insufficient testing of people at high risk of infection
  • Lack of awareness by many people that they have been potentially exposed to the virus through one-off or occasional IV drug use or the receipt of blood or blood products prior to blood donor screening
  • Poor access to health care for some high risk individuals

It is not possible to accurately extrapolate HCV incidence or prevalence rates from notification data.“

source Hepatitis C infection in New Zealand: Estimating the current and future prevalence and impact July 2000

Most GP’s have no idea Hepatitis C is notifiable or at what stage it becomes notifiable so they tend to not do anything about notification,

And looking at the numbers here one can see this is likely the case

hcvratesnznotifiable1

Notifiable disease diseases (hepatitis C ) on the New Zealand Ministry of Health website

http://www.nzpho.org.nz/NotifiableDisease.aspx

Found a article in New Zealand Doctor about Christchurch Hepatitis C Clinic here.

$600,000 for pilot hepatitis C clinic

Liane Topham-Kindley

A community clinic for people with hepatitis C, the first of its kind in the country, is due to open in Christchurch in January.
The Ministry of Health has committed almost $600,000 to the clinic which will operate as a pilot over three years.

http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news?article=D0048131-515A-43D9-9CFF-EE0C7A3FD19E

I imagine a lot of money from a lot of additional different sources has been invested in this pilot study on top of that mentioned in this article. $600,000 for duplicating existing Christchurch health services.

It seems the needle exchange program has captured a lot of the public funding for hepatitis C
in New Zealand.

How effective is the needle exchange program, in reducing HCV infection?

Could it be improved, perhaps it is time for an independent audit of New Zealand needle exchange program performance with the aim of improving the service and access.

100% coverage and removal of some of the more stupid polices that make New Zealand Needle Exchanges less effective in slowing the spread HCV in New Zealand.

The Primary Prevention of Hepatitis C among Injecting Drug Users

This recent English report on The Primary Prevention of Hepatitis C among Injecting Drug Users

Review the prevention of hepatitis C and what actions could be taken to reduce its transmission and improve knowledge and awareness, particularly among at-risk groups. The report therefore focuses on HCV prevention among injecting drug users

The evidence suggests that the most effective way of reducing HCV incidence among active IDUs is through a combination of Opiate Substitution Therapy (OST) and the provision of Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP).

Recommendations around gathering data on HCV regarding epidemiology, testing and treatment referrals. Such information will provide more robust evidence upon which decisions underpinning policy can be made.

Recommendation 1. Local service planners need to review local needle and
syringe services (and be supported in this work) in order to take steps to
increase access and availability to sterile injecting equipment and to increase
the proportion of injectors who receive 100 per cent coverage of sterile
injecting equipment in relation to their injecting frequency.

Recommendation 2. Local services need to provide a comprehensive
intervention so that those offering OST also provide access to sterile injecting
equipment and those providing sterile injecting equipment facilitate entry into
OST.

There are twelve other recommendations all should be adapted in to Hepatitis C policy in New Zealand.

http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/acmd/acmdhepcreport2?view=Binary

It would be better for New Zealand to act now before we turn in to the Egypt of the south pacific.

Although Egypt EGYPT: Viral Time Bomb Set to Explode   a public health disaster with the vaccination programs in the 1960’s which helped spread hepatitis C to twenty percent of the adult population the world’s worst rate of infection.

I have often wondered how third world countries will be able to effectively address Hepatitis C.  I think patent’s preventing cheap generic copies of Interferon’s and anti viral s  should be relaxed as was suggested by a recent legal appeal in India.

Otherwise treatment is just unaffordable for the majority of the population of these countries.

Best of Health

www.hcv.org.nz

April 6, 2009

NZ Hepatitis C , The fog has lifted,HCV Polymerase / Protease Inhibitor New Zealand Drug Trial

Filed under: Hepatitis C New Zealand — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:43 pm

The fog has lifted

The fog has lifted;  finishing the interferon treatment medication was a transformation. It was quite a contrast my moods improved and the fatigue disappeared.  My liver functions are normal.

I have lived with Hepatitis C for the last 24 years I hope it is gone, my first viral load test will be back from the lab soon. I have slowly regained my energy levels and my fitness.

A friend advised me

“I actually found the 2mnths after finishing treatment quite Hard - lots of weird mood stuff and felt more depressed and cognitively fucked than I did on treatment. That said, I began to feel physically better straight away. A weird time though, as the body is basically withdrawing from the drugs - trying to find its equilibrium again. So - I guess, just to say, don’t give yourself a hard time if you don’t feel ‘recovered’ as it can take quite awhile.”

There have been a couple of press releases of note

Roche MEDIA RELEASE

31 MARCH 2009

Experts say new PHARMAC funding could help avert potential public health ‘time bomb’

Media release from Roche

Health experts believe that new access to Pegasys® (peginterferon alfa-2a (40KD)), an effective antiviral treatment for two diseases, chronic hepatitis B and C, today announced by PHARMAC, will save thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars over the next twenty years.

Associate Professor Ed Gane, Hepatologist at Auckland City Hospital, says that both hepatitis B & C were, until as recently as a decade ago, considered to be incurable.

“Up to 20 per cent of patients with chronic hepatitis C or chronic hepatitis B will progress to, and eventually die from cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure or liver cancer.”

“As a result, hepatitis B and C infections together now account for more than half of referrals for liver transplantation and more than 95% of new cases of liver cancer in New Zealand.

These two diseases represent a potential time bomb for the health system – the projected numbers of HCV-related liver cancers are projected to treble over the next 20 years and untreated hepatitis C alone could cost the health system $400 million over the next 10-15 years.”

http://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/news?article=3e3bc2e2-3063-499b-af09-f1a4749881e6

Pharmac Press Release

Government drug funder PHARMAC has agreed to widen access to pegylated interferon

alpha, an antiviral treatment already funded for some forms of hepatitis C. The decision

also sees access widened to include earlier treatment of two hepatitis C forms. The drug

can be used on its own, or in combination with another drug, ribavirin.

http://www.pharmac.govt.nz/2009/03/31/PEGINT~1.pdf

www.Alltop.com

All top a news service worth checking out uses The New Zealand Hepatitis C Blog is a source, amongst other great sources it’s worth a look.

http://hepatitis.alltop.com/

HCV Polymerase Inhibitor New Zealand Drug Trial

I haven’t actually talked to anyone on the trial yet but the details are…..

A Study of Combination Treatment With an HCV Polymerase Inhibitor (RO5024048) and an HCV Protease Inhibitor (RO5190591) in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Study Type: Interventional Study Design: Treatment, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Parallel Assignment, Safety/Efficacy Study Official Title: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Ranging Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Antiviral Activity of Combination Treatment With an HCV Polymerase Inhibitor (RO5024048) and an HCV Protease Inhibitor (RO5190591) in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Patients.

Locations

Australia

Recruiting

MELBOURNE, Australia, 3181

Recruiting

HEIDELBERG, Australia, 3084

Recruiting

ADELAIDE, Australia, SA 5000

New Zealand

Recruiting

AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 1150

Recruiting

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand

Sponsors and Collaborators

Hoffmann-La Roche

Investigators

Study Director:

Clinical Trials

Hoffmann-La Roche, +1 973 235 5000

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years to 65 Years

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

adult patients, 18-65 years of age;

chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1;

no prior treatment for HCV.

Exclusion Criteria:

decompensated liver disease, or impaired liver function;

presence or history of non-hepatitis C chronic liver disease;

HBsAg or HIV infection;

history of cancer within 5 years, other than localized or in situ cancer of the skin.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00801255?term=new+zealand+hepatitis+c&rank=4

Best of Health

www.hcv.org.nz

“A community of people with hepatitis C trying to help other people who are affected by hepatitis C”

March 20, 2009

Hepatitis C New Zealand Pharmac widens access to Interferon,Christchurch Community Hepatitis C Clinic

Filed under: Hepatitis C New Zealand — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:21 pm

Hepatitis C New Zealand  Pharmac widens access to Interferon

March 9 2009

Good news from PHARMAC, who manage New Zealand Government expenditure on pharmaceuticals.

Access widened to pegylated interferon for hepatitis B and hepatitis C genotypes 2 and 3

A widening of existing subsidised access to include patients with chronic hepatitis C, genotype

2 and 3 who do not have cirrhosis.

Provision of subsidies for patients with chronic hepatitis B, where patients are treatment Naïve;

ROCHE products Pegasys and Pegasys RBV Combination Pack will be the sole supply brand of pegylated Interferon and pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination packs until 31 December 2012.

Delisting of Schering Plough product Pegatron, from the Pharmaceutical Schedule.

There will no longer Schering Plough, Pegatron products available cutting out one treatment option that has been used in the past for people who have been unresponsive to Roche products?

Pharmac site has more details  and prices for pegylated interferon in New Zealand

Christchurch Community Hepatitis C Clinic

I missed this news when it came out but a notable moment in community health was the opening of Christchurch Community Hepatitis C Clinic, New Zealand’s first free community hepatitis C clinic

Nurse and hepatitis C specialist Jenny Bourke will run the clinic. Bourke urged anyone who thought they might have hepatitis C to go to the “discreet” Manchester St clinic for a check. “We want to get people checked out as soon as possible so they don’t get things like cirrhosis of the liver or other liver damage,” she said.

www.stuff.co.nz

TO contact Christchurch Community Hepatitis C Clinic contact Christchurch Hepatitis C Resource Centre 0800 224372 (0800 22 HEPC)

Indonesia 12 million with Hepatitis C

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 03/16/2009 11:25 AM | National

Indonesians are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to cancer of the liver, with more than 40,000 new cases detected each year, health experts warn.

“Around 42,600 new cases of liver cancer occur every year in the country,” health expert Terawan Agus Putranto said Saturday during a seminar on cancer diagnosis and therapy in Jakarta.

“Most of the cases stem from hepatitis, which is a prevalent disease among Indonesians,” added the radiology specialist from Gading Pluit Hospital in North Jakarta.

He said careless use of needles and unmonitored blood transfusions had contributed significantly to the spread of hepatitis, which is transferable through blood, faeces and sexual contact. Indonesia has Hans U. Baer, an expert on cancer-related abdominal surgery, told the forum that hepatitis was a disconcerting issue in Indonesia, with around 10 percent of the country’s 240 million people exposed to the Hepatitis A virus, 5 percent to the Hepatitis B virus, and another 5 percent Hepatitis C.

Best of health

www.hcv.org.nz

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