On the occasion of the 25th year of the ‘yellow ribbon’ campaign, the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) and the Delhi government’s department of health and family welfare launched a special programme on December 3 — winning over mothers with Hepatitis B (Womb).
Key points
- The Womb campaign aims to spread awareness about mother-to-child transmission of Hepatitis B.
- It aims to make as many as 100 mothers with Hepatitis B ambassadors of the Womb programme in the next year. They will be educated and will in turn educate other mothers about how a healthy life can be led.
- The ‘yellow ribbon’ campaign, which was launched in 1998, is meant to increase public awareness about viral hepatitis. This year’s theme was Hepatitis elimination: A social responsibility.
- Of the total Hepatitis B infections in India, at least 20-30% are mother-to-child transmissions, data shows.
- Records also show that in at least 90% of cases, the infected mother transfers the infection to her child.
- The development of chronic infection is common in infants infected from their mothers or before the age of 5 years.
- Chronic infection occurs in the majority (90%) of infants infected by their mothers before five years of age.
- A safe and effective vaccine that offers 98% to 100% protection against hepatitis B is available.
