Around 50,000 patients are suffering from hepatitis in Punjab, state Health Minister Brahm Mohindra said on the World Hepatitis Day on July 28.

The minister said viral hepatitis (Hepatitis B and C) remained a major challenge affecting approximately 325 million people globally. "It is the root cause of liver cancer, leading to 1.34 million deaths every year," Mohindra said. The minister called upon healthcare workers to not only generate awareness amongst masses but also to work towards the goal of 'Eliminating hepatitis'.

Addressing a gathering here today, he stated around 50,000 patients had been suffering from this disease in Punjab. Mohindra said free treatment of hepatitis was available in 25 government hospitals in the state. Nearly 10,000 children die of liver failure in India every year, Sonal Asthana, an eminent liver surgeon from Bangalore, said.

Liver transplant is a safe and effective treatment for liver failure and is now well established in India, she added. The major problem in India is the cost of treatment. Although the technology and skills are available, most Indians are unable to afford the cost of a liver transplant, doctors said.