The members of the Chinese Academy of Science and the Chinese Academy of Engineering have advised the government and the public to create more awareness on the prevention and treatment of hepatitis B and tuberculosis diseases. According to them, these diseases take lives of more than 3,00,000 Chinese each year.
The public was urged for enhanced awareness and control of the diseases by the doctors attending a medical forum in Zhejiang Province in east China. Statistical data reveals that the hepatitis B virus affects around 120 million Chinese with 20% of them developing a full-blown form of the disease.Li Lanjuan a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, "It is hard to prevent and control hepatitis B at present. The hepatitis B vaccine shows no effect on about five percent of its receivers, and the medicine being used can not kill the virus completely."
But, disease experts are still optimistic about reducing the spread of the disease from the present 9.7% to 5% by 2010. They say that this could be possible only if the government and the public take effort in the prevention.
Of late, China has intensified the efforts to improve public awareness of the disease. Andy Lau, an eminent Hong Kong movie star, also a hepatitis B virus carrier, has been invited by the Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and Control to be the publicity ambassador for the prevention and control of the disease.
Source-Medindia
GYT
