CUTTACK: Despite Hepatitis B emerging as a significant public health problem that has almost 4 per cent population in its grip, failure to include its vaccines in the immunisation programme has raised consternation among health experts. The Union Health Ministry has announced inclusion of Hep B vaccines in the National Policy for Vaccination three years back, but implementation at the community-level is still non-existent. While high incidence nations like Taiwan have brought down the prevalence drastically through mass immunisation programmes, in India the disease has been left free to spread its tentacles. In 1984, Taiwan had incidence of 20 per cent. Today it is between two and 3 per cent only. The initial disinclination of the Indian Government to include Hep B vaccine stemmed from the high cost of around Rs 1,500 a decade back. But now, the three doses combined cost only Rs 50 while the DPT vaccine costs around Rs 47. Therefore, there is no reason why there should be further hesitation in starting the mass administration programme, president of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology and Professor of Gastroenterology of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Dr Gourdas Choudhuri said on the sidelines of the 10th Hepatitis B Eradication Day function organised by the Kalinga Gastroenterology Foundation and the department of Gastroenterology, SCBMCH. He also stressed ante-natal screening for Hep B among expectant mothers. “Mother-to-child transmission is exceptionally high with Hep B and thus screening during pregnancy is a must like haemoglobin tests, etc.,” he said. Chairman of KGF Prof SP Singh stressed on raising awareness among the population for one of the most pertinent but neglected public health concerns at present. “Only about one third of the population in coastal Eastern India are aware of Hep B and its vaccine. In Orissa, the level was still lower at around 20 per cent,” he said. A poster competition and a young sportspersons’ rally was organised to mark the occasion. The observations this year assume significance as the WHO has declared July 28 as the World Hepatitis Day while KGF has been celebrating it for the last 10 years.