Shanghai set to terminate viral hepatitis risk status

The incidence of acute hepatitis B in Shanghai has been reduced to the lowest level in history, and the city has entered the stage for "termination of hepatitis risk," according to the Shanghai Health Commission.

The commission has organized a citywide event for viral hepatitis testing, diagnosis, treatment and consultation over the weekend.

Shanghai has been focused on viral hepatitis prevention and control through enhancing blood safety, vaccination, testing and treatment, community-based management and public education.

So far, the vaccination rate for children for hepatitis A and B is more than 99 percent. Since 2010, the city has promoted voluntary hepatitis B vaccination for adult residents, resulting in the acute hepatitis B incidence dropping to its lowest level.

China is still a country with strong burden imposed by chronic hepatitis. Many chronic hepatitis carriers, mainly hepatitis C, are not aware of their condition.

Shanghai initiated a plan in April to terminate the public risk of hepatitis C, indicating that the focus of local hepatitis work has been transferred from individual-centered treatment and cure to group-centered risk termination.

Currently, a total of 219 hospitals can provide hepatitis medical services, in an effort to further terminate the harm of hepatitis C.

Among them, the authority selected 30 designated medical facilities for hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment and will further perfect the service system.

Leading hospitals are also teaming up to enhance the medical capability of liver disease testing, diagnosis and treatment, experts told a Western and TCM forum on liver disease at Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on Friday.

The combination of Western and TCM and multidisciplinary treatment format with participation of various departments have been adopted to ensure better and individualized treatment plans to improve patients' survival and life quality.

"Concerning the disease development process of hepatitis-cirrhosis-liver cancer, we introduced the TCM theory to carry out early screening, prevention, diagnosis and treatment," said Dr Zhu Junfeng, director of the hospital's liver disease department.

"This will offer a one-stop live disease prevention and control system, and has achieved very positive effects."