CABANATUAN CITY (PIA) — Residents of Central Luzon can now avail themselves of free hepatitis testing, treatment, and vaccination in public health facilities as part of the intensified campaign against viral hepatitis of the Department of Health (DOH).
DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development (CLCHD) Infectious Disease Cluster Health Program Officer Almira Isabel Cayanan said hepatitis is a serious inflammation of the liver caused by different viruses, namely hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
She explained that hepatitis A and E are mostly acquired through poor sanitation, while hepatitis B, C, and D are more dangerous and transmitted through blood and other body fluids and unsafe sex.
“Testing and treatment are offered for free at health centers, social hygiene clinics, HIV treatment hubs, and government hospitals across the region,” Cayanan said.
She also highlighted the Expanded Program on Immunization, which provides free birth-dose and pentavalent vaccines to newborns to prevent hepatitis B transmission from mother to child.
“Let’s remember that a healthy liver means a happy life, and it begins with the right information and action,” Cayanan pressed.
DOH CLCHD continues to implement the Viral Hepatitis Program and raise community awareness on the prevention and treatment of the disease.
Patients may also access free outpatient services and laboratory tests, including hepatitis screening, through the Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services or BUCAS centers and DOH hospitals such as Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital and Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center. (CLJD/MCAL, PIA Region 3 GIP)
