Abstracts Poster Abstracts - Dr Falk

87Viral hepatitis - Health care problem that can be solvedOgulbahar NepesovaDepartment of Internal Medicine, Turkmen State Medical Institute, Ashgabat,TurkmenistanAdopted in the 1995 State Program of the President of Turkmenistan S. A. Niyazov"Health" has a strategic aim in improving the general health condition and in increasingthe population productive life span. One of the priority tasks for Turkmenistan healthcare improvement is the implementation of measures on disease prophylaxis. Viralhepatitis is a special group of diseases that requires the development of a NationalProgram, based on the scientific advances worldwide and the recommendations ofWorld Health Organization (WHO).The aim of our studies was the identification of the etiological and clinical characteristicsassociated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and todevelop strategies for their treatment and prevention in Turkmenistan.From 1991-2005 we analyzed 375 patients with chronic liver diseases: hepatitis B, Cand D viruses were the cause for more than 73% of liver diseases. Further analyses ofpatients with chronic viral hepatitis revealed that more than half of the patients werebetween 20 and 39 years old. Blood transfusions as well as therapeutic and diagnosticmedical interventions were the major routes of transmission, even though we couldfrequently not identify a specific risk factor (sporadic hepatitis).The natural history of viral hepatitis is frequently characterized by an asymptomaticcourse with clinical manifestation at later stages with decompensated liver cirrhosis and/or HCC.Implementation of high-sensitivity makes it possible to diagnose liver diseases early andin time for effective therapies thereby preventing its progression to cirrhosis and HCC.At the present time there are reforms going on in screening blood donors in thetransfusion service.Treatment of patients with chronic liver diseases is a difficult, expensive and one of thetop priorities in practical healthcare. During the last 10 years major advances have beenmade in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C.Considering the different modes of HBV transmission the most promising way forprophylaxis of HBV infection that is first vaccine in the world to also prevent amalignancy.A high priority task for Turkmenistan is the prevention of viral hepatitis with a NationalProgram for Newborns Vaccination (Order N350 dd.27.11.01 "On measures for hepatitisvirus sickness rate decrease in Turkmenistan" Ministry of Health and Medical Industryof Turkmenistan). Vaccination of all newborns against hepatitis B is included in thevaccination calendar and was started in January 2002 in Turkmenistan.