Agartala, April 15 (IANS): The Tripura government today launched an ambitious programme to make its capital Agartala a Hepatitis free city, considering northeastern India's vulnerability to this highly contagious disease.
According to experts, the northeastern States are highly prone to various types of hepatitis, forcing the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct a study. Agartala Municipal Council (AMC), Tripura health department in association with Hepatitis Foundation of Tripura (HFT), an NGO, Sunday initiated the ambitious scheme to make the capital city Agartala Hepatitis free.
"This is for the first time in India such type of health programme was launched to make the capital city free from the virus disease," HFT president and renowned gastro-enterologist Pradip Bhowmik told IANS.
He said: "Around 50,000 people irrespective of their age are to receive the vaccine at highly subsidised rate. The second and third doses would be administered May 20 and Oct 14."
Tripura Health Minister Tapan Chakraborty accompanied by AMC chairperson Prafullajit Sinha formally launched the mass vaccination programme here Sunday.
According to experts, of the six Hepatitis strains (A, B, C, D, E and G), Hepatitis B and C are the most dangerous as these are transmitted through blood.
The Tripura government in alliance with HFT, had launched the 'At birth Hepatitis vaccination' programme since January last year.
The HFT is actively working in the northeastern state since 2002 and conducts mass vaccination of Hepatitis B and has attracted national attention for its unique battle against the disease.
