India has a burden of 5.2 crore people living with the viral infection, which is virtually a silent killer
As many as 5,000 BEST employees and their families will be screened for the Hepatitis virus in the coming days as a part of the company's yellow drive initiative in association with dna and Cipla. To raise awareness of the virus, BEST buses will be branded with messages too.
Chairman of the BEST committee, Mohan Mithbaokar said, "This is the third such initiative in the past three months. We will reach out to not just the employees but also their family members."
BEST said that they would make provisions for the treatment of those who tested positive for Hepatitis following the process of screening.
"We have around 47,000 employees. Hepatitis is an illness that one needs to worry about. BEST has been an active participant in several health campaigns and we will be happy to be a part of such initiatives in the future as well," said Dr Jagdish Patil, general manager of BEST.
Dr AM Singhal, chief medical officer of BEST, said, "Our Hepatitis burden is only next to China. We started the yellow drive in 2015 and hope to reach more employees in the coming years."
A recent report by the World Health Organisation revealed that 95% of the patients infected with the virus were not even aware of their Hepatitis status.
Rumana Hamied, Head of Cipla Foundation, said, "The biggest challenge in combatting Hepatitis is that the disease is asymptomatic with millions getting infected and living with the condition till it's too late. Cipla Foundation is undertaking initiatives to make people aware of Hepatitis prevention. The Foundation is also providing support for diagnosis. This will empower communities to protect themselves and their families. Cipla Foundation is pleased to partner with BEST and dna for this awareness and diagnosis drive, which will help build a collective momentum to propel the global movement to eliminate Hepatitis by 2030."
According to the WHO, India has around 5.2 crore people living with Hepatitis, thereby making it a public health issue.
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