Ifugao PHO enjoins residents to undergo hepatitis risk assessment

The Provincial Health Office (PHO) Yvonne Indunan enjoins the public to undergo risk assessment and screening of hepatitis infection in the various health facilities in their respective municipalities to avoid the possibility of developing liver cancer.

LAGAWE, Ifugao (PIA) —  The Provincial Health Office (PHO) enjoined the public to undergo risk assessment and screening of hepatitis infection to avoid the possibility of developing liver cancer.

Yvonne Indunan of the PHO said that health facilities in the different municipalities are doing risk assessment and screening of hepatitis illness.

“Just visit your respective health care providers to avail the needed services,” she said.

Indunan explained that liver cancer has a poor prognosis or outlook because it is often diagnosed very late in its course. It usually presents no symptoms in the early stages until the disease has already spread and is in advance stage. However, it is preventable because the major risk factors have already been identified.

Among the factors that increase the risk of primary liver cancer include chronic infection with hepatitis B or C virus, cirrhosis, fatty liver, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, certain inherited liver disease, exposure to aflatoxins, and diabetes.

Treatments are available for hepatitis B and C infections to reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Indunan underscored the importance of giving birth in  birthing facilities to ensure that  all newly born infants will get hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

The month of January of every year is  declared as  “Liver Cancer and Viral Hepatitis Awareness and Prevention Month”  by virtue of Republic Act  No. 10526 to create public awareness about communicable disease of viral hepatitis. (JDP/MBL, PIA-CAR, Ifugao)

In other News
Skip to content