Almost ten percent of the Philippine population are infected with
hepatitis, forcing experts to say that the situation is a "silent
epidemic."
Close to nine million Filipinos are suffering from Hepatitis B and
Hepatitis C, the Hepatology Society of the Philippines (HSP) said on
Wednesday, adding that most of those infected are "oblivious" of their
illness.
Some 7.3 million are chronically infected with Hepatitis B, a "rate
[that] is extremely high, more than double the eight percent average
prevalence of Hepatitis B infection in the Western Pacific region," HSP
President Dr. Diana Payawal said.
Meanwhile, around 2.3 percent or one million Filipinos may be infected with Hepatitis C virus, she added.
Read more...Labels: epidemiology, Philippines