Bahrain marks World Hepatitis Day

Manama, The Ministry of Health emphasised Bahrain's commitment to enhancing the prevention of diseases and epidemics and to delivering high quality diagnostic and therapeutic services to all citizens and residents in accordance with national and international health objectives. This came on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, which is observed annually on July 28 and under the theme "It's Time for Action". The theme aims to enhance public awareness of hepatitis and reinforce global cooperation to reduce the prevalence and complications of the disease and ultimately eradicate it. The ministry highlighted Bahrain's key initiatives such as including hepatitis B vaccinations in the routine immunisation schedule since 1991 and hepatitis A vaccinations since 2004. This includes the Kingdom's efforts to implement thorough screening of blood donors for these viruses and conduct early detection through premarital and prenatal screenings. Bahrain is also committed to providing laboratory tests to detect these virus es using high quality procedures and offering necessary treatments while continuously providing awareness and education. The Global Hepatitis Report 2024 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) outlines a series of measures to improve the management of viral hepatitis and accelerate progress towards eliminating the epidemic by 2030. There are five main types of hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E. The transmission methods of these viruses vary depending on the type. Hepatitis A and E can be transmitted orally through the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the virus. Hepatitis B, C, and D viruses are transmitted through blood and its derivatives, such as sharing contaminated needles or receiving contaminated blood transfusions, or through sexual contact with an infected person. The virus can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Source: Bahrain News Agency