By Carrie Lee | Project Manager Assistant
Hepatitis B can be treated effectively with medications. Yet every day, around 1500 people in the Asia Pacific Region die from hepatitis B and its deadly complications. In this report, we update you on what we’ve been up to fighting hepatitis B in the Asia Pacific.
KIRIBATI
We’re getting ready to treat hepatitis B patients in Kiribati, a Pacific Island nation of around 110,000 people.
In January 2018, our team members were deployed to the main referral hospital on the island of Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati. With the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), we presented lectures to the local hospital staff about the diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis (including ultrasound and Fibroscan), the use of lab testing, and clinical documentation.
Kiribati has one of the highest rates of hepatitis B in the world, estimated at 15% of the population. In addition, 40% of these patients are co-infected with hepatitis D, for which reliable treatment is not generally available.
During this trip, we evaluated about 80 hepatitis B patients, seeing them alongside local practitioners to allow for clinical teaching. These patient sessions are important to prepare before we start treatment. By the end of the trip, twelve patients were identified to start treatment with antiviral medications, which will arrive soon. Our team will continue to collaborate with the government and other experts around the world.
This program is the first of its kind in the Western Pacific Region. The WHO hopes it will be a model for starting similar programs in other islands. We are very encouraged by the initial success.
NORTH KOREA
We’re continuing to grow our project in North Korea (DPRK) treating hepatitis B patients. Currently, we are treating around 800 patients and monitoring nearly 1500 patients through the program, called HOPE.
Over the coming year, we'll be working to set up a new third clinic in the city of Hae-Ju to help more patients. We plan to see these patients for the first time during our trip in May-June.
This work isn’t without its challenges. Because of UN sanctions on North Korea, our scheduled trip in March to the DPRK had to be postponed. We hope logistical issues such as licenses and exemptions will be resolved so we can return in May-June. Our American volunteers have received US State Department approval to travel again, and we are one of the few NGOs still providing humanitarian aid to North Korea.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Chronic hepatitis B is a major issue in PNG, with a prevalence of 14%. Having worked in the Oro Province, PNG since 2013, we’re now in the early stages of developing a program to deliver hepatitis B treatment.
In February 2018, Sue Huntley (Co-Director) travelled to PNG to meet with stakeholders in Port Moresby and Popondetta, the capital of the Oro Province. Setting up a project requires detailed logistical planning, including establishing medicine procurement pathways, assessing laboratory and clinical facilities, and building relationships with partners on the ground. We are excited to provide you with more updates as this PNG project grows.
THANK YOU!
We thank all of our donors for their monetary support and encouragement. We couldn’t be doing this without you. Please feel free to write or contact us if you have suggestions or questions!
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