SHIMLA/CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh faces a potential danger of Hepatitis outbreaks in the face of recent flashfloods and amidst a spike in injectable drug abuse. But NHM is caught napping on World Hepatitis Day today. NHM has yet to come out from its an overt infestation with the Covid 19 statistics that it daily dishes out to the Media and talks nothing about other health issues that people of Himachal face.
The Indian Medical Association Medical Students Network Haryana has taken the lead in organizing the awareness program, "Hepatitis Heroes,". It aims to spread awareness about the disease and its prevention.
The campaign has been brought to the public domain on World Hepatitis Day, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Need of campaigns is warranted not only in Himachal, but also in the entire Himalayan states, where Hepatitis is becoming a major health problem infecting younger population due to rise in drug abuse.
Despite the urgent need for action, the state's health authorities and NHM have been caught napping and failed to respond to the call on World Hepatitis Day.
The gravity of medical urgency is grave. India receives more than 40 million new cases of Hepatitis every year and Himachal is also prone to hepatis outbreaks.
The outbreak of Hepatitis A were witnessed in Jan-Feb 2016, 2010 in Shimla. Incidence of Hepatitis C is also high due to increase in the intravenous drug abuse remains high in cities like Shimla, Mandi, Solan and Dharamshala and Kullu. In Shimla alone over 150 cases of Hepatitis C were detected at IGMC, Shimla in one year in 2021 mainly the youth from Shimla district, where use of drugs has become a big health concern. 
It is even more pressing as the residents in cities like Shimla and other places continue to get the water from tankers, local sources which are more and less contaminated, warn the public health experts.
“The healthcare providers are at much higher risk for infection and contact, said Indian Medical Association(IMA), which has launched the Hepatitis Heroes programme on World Hepatitis Day.
While medical professionals in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi have united to launch an onslaught against Hepatitis A, B, and C in the region, Himachal's National Health Mission remains inactive.
The chapters of the Indian Medical Association in the neighboring states have fervently called for a fight against Hepatitis, urging their Himachal counterparts to join as "Hepatitis Heroes" and actively participate in the campaign.
This indifference is particularly concerning, given the high incidence of Hepatitis A, B, and C in the state's cold deserts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, as well as in towns and cities like Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Dharamshala, Chamba, Nahan, Kullu, and Manali.
These areas continue to face frequent outbreaks of Hepatitis due to the contamination of drinking water schemes caused by the damaged sewerage system during the recent floods and even in dry months.
Experts and residents alike are expressing grave concern over the lack of action by Himachal's health authorities in the face of the present flash flood crisis.
Risk of outbreak of Hepatitis in Himachal Pradesh remains high due to large scale damages to drinking water schemes and sewerage line in towns and cities that can potentially contaminate water supplies and sources in the state, underscoring the need for action.
High levels of turbidity in the water supply are believed to be a major contributing factor to the spread of Hepatitis, particularly Hepatitis A, which is transmitted through contaminated water.
Hepatitis infections can have severe health consequences if left untreated.
“Chronic Hepatitis B and C can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and in extreme cases, even death”, warn doctors.
The key challenge in combating Hepatitis is the lack of awareness among the general population about the disease, its modes of transmission, and preventive measures.
“If we have no major outbreaks, it is no reason that directorate of NHM should be complacent”, warn the public health experts.
