TEHRAN –Thanks to implementing a nationwide vaccination program, the prevalence of hepatitis B has declined from 2.5 percent to approximately one percent in the country, an official with the health ministry has said.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.

The acute disease can be treated without the need for medications. However, chronic infection usually puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The best and most effective way to prevent Hepatitis B is to get vaccinated.

The vaccination program kicked off years ago targeting individuals under the age of 37, IRNA quoted Qobad Moradi as saying.

He made the remarks on the occasion of the national hepatitis awareness week, which is being observed in the country from October 22 to 28.

The week aims to enhance preventive measures by raising public awareness, screening as well as controlling viral hepatitis infections.

In March, Hossein Farshidi, the deputy health minister, said a national program to control Hepatitis B will kick off on September 22, IRNA reported.

Hepatitis C to be eliminated in 2 years

The ministry of health is planning to eradicate hepatitis C across the country within a period of 2 to 3 years.

If the necessary budget is provided, we will eliminate hepatitis within two to three years,” ISNA quoted Shahnam Arshi, a health ministry official, as saying.

Universities of medical science have put the eradication of hepatitis C in the spotlight, he stressed.

An estimated 200,000 people in the country are infected with hepatitis C, Arshi noted, adding that the ministry has been importing diagnosis kits for identifying patients.

In August 2023, Saeid Karimi, the deputy health minister, said that free treatment for hepatitis C is provided for patients in the country.

“We hope to eliminate hepatitis C from the country with insurance coverage and other efficient measures,” IRNA quoted Karimi as saying.

“To be able to do so, many patients have been diagnosed and registered in the [treatment] systems,” he added.

So far, some 600 patients under insurance coverage have been treated free of charge, he noted.

Iran is planning to provide free diagnosis and treatment services to people who are suffering from hepatitis and eradicate the disease by 2030.

Diagnosis of the disease under the health network is free for all, and treatment is also free for financially vulnerable families.

In the year 1400 (ended in March 2022), some 14,500 patients were treated and in the previous year (ended in March 2023), some 16,500 patients were treated in the country.

MT/MG