KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health celebrated World Hepatitis Prevention Day, which falls on July 28 every year, at the Yarmouk Health Center with the participation of 40 preventive health centers. The assistant undersecretary for Public Health Affairs at the Ministry, Dr Al-Munther Al-Hasawi, told the Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA) on Sunday that this day is considered an opportunity to raise awareness of hepatitis C disease and celebrate the great achievements achieved in combating it, especially what has been discovered in the field of prevention.

Al-Hasawi stressed the importance of awareness messages and the need for early detection of infection through screening, especially for people who have previously been exposed to risk factors such as sexual contact or abuse of transdermal drugs. He explained that the types of hepatitis C virus (A, E) that are transmitted through food can be prevented by making sure one eats clean, non-contaminated food and washing hands regularly, adding that the types (B, C) that are transmitted through needles can be prevented by staying away from forbidden relationships and avoiding drug use.

For her part, the director of the public health department, Dr Sarah Al-Qabandi, said that Kuwait is celebrating this International Day in order to keep abreast of the latest developments, spread awareness of this disease, and reduce its spread and prevention. Al-Qabandi pointed out that the vaccination against Type B is within the schedule. Basic vaccination of a child after birth can reduce the spread of the disease in Kuwait, pointing out that the state aspires to achieve a reduction of 90 percent by 2030.

She added that the Ministry of Health, represented by its laboratories, has a lot of modern devices for early detection of this infection to limit its spread and identify ways to prevent it. The Ministry conducts many tests, such as pre-marriage examinations, pre-job examinations of employees, and examinations of students, in addition to the examination of expatriate workers. — KUNA