Mokokchung, August 26 (MTNews): In order to address the escalating hepatitis epidemic in Nagaland and to support the growth and development of the NVHCP in Nagaland, a team of ten representatives from the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program under the National Health Mission, MoHFW, led by Deputy Commissioner NVHCP, Dr. Sandhya Kabra, physically visited every district of the state from August 21 through August 25, 2022.
With the growing threat of hepatitis C cases in particular among High Risk Groups in the state besides Hepatitis B morbidity, the state as well as the Centre has a heavy burden to address the issue with great concern to minimize the deadly consequences of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with the SDG goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030.
The Deputy Commissioner of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program MOHFW, Dr. Sandhya Kabra, spoke as the Guest of Honor during the Exit Meeting of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program MoHFM held at Conference Hall, Hotel Vivor, Kohima on August 25, 2022. She explained that the program’s conceptualization was done through consultation with all stakeholders, technical experts, and the community. Out of the 16 districts, 11 have registered in the NVHCP-MIS portal, and all 11 districts are functional for Hepatitis C and for Hepatitis B, Dr. Sandhya Kabra noted while presenting the Nagaland MIS data Profile. She also pointed out issues pertaining in Viral Hepatitis Management Units in the sub-division and districts levels and suggested recommendations to outcome these issues.
Asangla Imti, secretary of health and family welfare, thanked the team in her speech for coming to the state, visiting all the districts, and addressing the growing hepatitis epidemic and also for supporting the progress and development of NVHCP in Nagaland.
She said that the team’s presentation of the data profile it had gathered from the state’s districts was similar to a report card that had opened the boxes of each district, and stated that the issues raised would be looked at and sorted out from the recommendations suggested by the team. She also discussed the state’s technological issues and the shortage of manpower due to creation of new districts which she said can be rationalized and called upon the department to converge to work together for the districts and sub-divisions.
In his brief speech, Principal Director of H&FW, Dr. Vikato Kinimi of Nagaland appreciated the team for physically travelling to the state to address the Hepatitis epidemic. He noted that the state’s citizens were oblivious to the issue and said that these issues can be tackled in the districts and can be solved by integrating more programs with the ministry. In order to proceed, he also urged the department’s officers, lab technicians, and employees to address all the problems.
The Department of H&FW also assured fullsupport for all initiatives, stating that increasing hepatitis awareness and services accessibility at all levels of healthcare would be some of the top issues to tackle in order to expand the state’s NVHCP implementation, and that integrating with various vertical health programs would be the core agenda for all planning under the department.
The program was chaired by SNO, NVHCP, Nagaland Dr. M. Nukshisangla Jamir while the vote of thanks was proposed by Mission Director, NHM, Nagaland, Dr. Thorhusie Katiry.