Increased cases of Hepatitis B confirmed in Bhutan

Bhutan is facing a major health concern with the rising cases of Hepatitis B infection. Tucked in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan, with a population of just over 650,000, is bordered to the west, south and east by India and in the north by China. Bhutan launched Hepatitis B vaccine in 1997 after high prevalence of the disease came to light. Last year alone, 744 Hepatitis B cases were reported, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, a doctor at the National Referral Hospital here, said. The higher rate of detection was due to the increasing number of testing centres. But Bhutan also has Hepatitis A and C, The Bhutanese daily quoted Wangchuk as saying.
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