Haryana Enhances Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Treatment

The Haryana Health Department has embarked on a comprehensive initiative to combat viral hepatitis under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. This move aims to enhance surveillance, reporting, and treatment monitoring, with a focus on improving data integration and achieving measurable results through stringent compliance and accountability measures.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Sumita Misra, emphasized the importance of comprehensive and enforceable surveillance for notified diseases like Hepatitis B and C. The initiative mandates that all healthcare facilities report positive hepatitis cases weekly, using a defined format to ensure data accuracy and completeness. A state digital registry will be created to centralize patient data and ensure efficient vaccination tracking.

The strategy promotes integration across existing digital health platforms and introduces a convergence model for national health programs. Pregnant women, high-risk groups, and other vulnerable populations will receive targeted screening and vaccination. The PGIMS hospital in Rohtak will see increased support, aiming for preventive, surveillance-driven health measures over reactive responses, ultimately aiming to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in Haryana.