People From Northeast India Vulnerable to Hepatitis B: Experts

Agartala, Aug 23 : People belonging to Mongoloid origin have been identified as more susceptible to deadly Hepatitis-B, said experts involved in eradication programme of the disease in Tripura at said here today.

Talking to UNI here at the celebration of seventh anniversary of the Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura (HFT), President Dr Pradip Bhowmi said they have been studying the factors indulging Hepatitis in the state for past five years and initial investigation revealed that the tribal communities were vulnerable to hepatitis.

Supplementing the input, President of Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, USA Dr John L Damonti, who has also taken part in the celebration here, said, ''There could be ethnic and genetic factors behind the spread of Hepatitis B. That is why tribal people are found more vulnerable than the others.

The Northeast region of India is a case in hand.'' The problem has aggravated further due to the regions proximity with countries like China and Taiwan having high rate of Hepatitis B infection. Taiwan is the worst affected with 18 per cent of the population being affected.

In China it is, however, less than Taiwan but higher than India, Damonti attributed. ''In India 2-7 per cent of the population is affected by hepatitis, nevertheless, China could achieve 100 per cent success to prevent infection at birth in as early as 1995,'' he said.

However, Dr Bhowmik, pointed out that Arunachal Pradesh adjoining China was also having high number of Hepatitis B infection at 21 percent. The rate is extremely alarming considering the national average of about eight per cent Hepatitis B infection among indigenous population of India.

In Tripura the Hepatitis B infection has taken a sharp fall with massive vaccination drive carried out by the HFT with the state government in a Private Public Partnership model.

''In 2002 when we started our programme Hepatitis B affected tribal population stood at about 13 per cent-most of them tribal and now it has decreased to a great extent,'' HFT Secretary Dibakar said, adding about four lakh people had already been vaccinated in the state.

As many as 25 delegations from different countries and states of India took part in the technical sessions being organized on the occasion of seventh anniversary of HFT, he added.