This was revealed in a public discussion "Step into the Future Treatment of Hepatitis C in Indonesia," organized networks of HIV Infected People Indonesia (JOTHI), Thursday (29/7).
The number of people with hepatitis C in Indonesia is estimated around four million. In Indonesia, the number of patients with hepatitis B and C to reach 30 million people. While the reported number of positive hepatitis C were recorded in the Ministry of Health in October 2007 to October 2009 were 17 999 cases. Travel hepatitis C is often asymptomatic for many years so that a person does not realize that living with the virus and potentially infectious.
One speaker, doctors' Internal Medicine Specialist. " Kramat Hospital 128, Dyah Agustina Waluyo, said the hepatitis virus in the blood and body fluids. Transmission of hepatitis B and C among others through blood transfusion, unsafe sexual contact, sharing needles or sharp instruments are not sterile, dialysis, organ transplantation, and vertical transmission from mothers to their babies. Among IDUs, the risk of contracting hepatitis C is very large.
Unlike existing hepatitis B vaccine, hepatitis C vaccine has not been found so difficult to do prevention. Disease are most at risk of hepatitis C develop chronic and lead to liver cirrhosis or even liver cancer.
Treatment of hepatitis C is still a burden because the therapy is very expensive and long. HCV combination therapy of two drugs for 42 weeks a range of cost USD 40 million-USD 150 million.
Tests to determine the presence of virus was also much more expensive. For HCV antibody test costs about Rp 200,000. While RNA testing to determine the type of virus it will cost about USD 2 million. With the expensive treatment, lack of vaccines, and the relative ease of transmission, hepatitis C can become a public health time bomb.
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