A survey conducted at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases shows that approximately 60% of patients did not know how they contracted hepatitis C and the majority of patients only discovered their disease when it had been already in the late stage(1).
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of deaths caused by viral hepatitis is increasing with a projected 3,500 daily deaths. According to a report presented at the World Hepatitis Summit in April 2024, viral hepatitis is the second biggest infectious killer disease after tuberculosis with 1.3 million deaths each year(2).
These figures become even more threatening in the context of current medical advancement in treating hepatitis and public health management: more affordable cost of treatment, better diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, and most countries including Vietnam included hepatitis treatment under public health insurance policies.
In order to identify the cultural, social, and psychological determinants affecting the diagnosis, access, and treatment compliance of Hepatitis C patients, OUCRU’s Social Science and Implementation Research group conducted a study among patients who were being examined and treated for Hepatitis C at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
The study findings identified psychological characteristics of patients and carers that can influence their journey for treatment and care for hepatitis C in the Vietnamese context. The study is also served as a bridge between the patients and policymakers, thus promoting the design and quality of public health programmes in Vietnam towards the achievement of the WHO goal to eliminate the hepatitis virus as a public health issue by 2030.
Check out the summarised research findings in the infographic below and stay tuned for the full video from Collab Lab.
(*) Collab Lab is a project by OUCRU’s Youth Science Ambassadors (YSAs) to equip youth with the skills and knowledge required for public engagement in health science. The team selects and summarizes published literature on global health issues, which they then animate. Collab Lab’s videos are fun to watch, using cute drawings and modern slangs to explain complex scientific topics in a way non-science audiences can easy to understand. Collab Lab also serves as a bridge, helping scientists gain valuable information from the public, especially from young population.
References:
(1) https://vnexpress.net/viem-gan-c-sat-thu-tham-lang-co-the-chua-khoi-4760745.html
(2) https://vnexpress.net/who-canh-bao-ganh-nang-viem-gan-sieu-vi-toan-cau-4747161.html
