National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in Haryana

Problem Statement

Eliminating Hepatitis-C from the state of Haryana through:

• Identifying the hot spots.
• Generating awareness among people.
• Conducting screening in hot spots.
• Ensuring linkage of positive identified patients with the health services.
• Ensuring availability of Drugs and testing facilities.
• By ensuring follow up with the patients.

Programme Description

Respected Sir/Ma’am

May I draw your kind attention to the problem stated above, The NVHCP Programme was imbibed by the State of Haryana in July 2018, prior to that Hepatitis control Programme named Jeevan Rekha existed in the state since 2013. Haryana is the pioneer state to provide free Hepatitis-C diagnosis and treatment to all Haryana domicile patients.

Programme Strategy

• Identifying the Hot spots:
  
  • Previous research done by the state prevalence in Ratia district of Fatehabad.
  • Data of patients collected from all the dictricts showed Fatehabad, kaithal, Jind, Panipat, Sonipat, Karnal, Sirsa and Hisar districts contributing most of patients.
• Generating awareness among people:
  
  • Special awareness drives were run in hot spots to educate the people about causes of spread of Hepatitis.
  • Special focus was given in the awareness of Saloon professionals/ Barbers.
  • Posters/pamphlets were distributed.
• Conducting screening in Hot Spots:
  
  • Screening drives were conducted in the hot spots.
  • Over 90000 person screened.
  • Prevalence study is made on the basis of data.
• Ensuring linkage of positive identified patients with the health services:
  
  • Counseling was provided to all positive identified persons and their apprehensions and doubts were cleared.
  • Data as per specified format recorded.
  • Data confidentiality was also ensured.
• Ensuring availability of Drugs and testing facilities:
  
  • Empanelment of lab services through decentralized model adopted for handling large patient inflow for diagnostics.
  • Online drugs portal helped the State in keeping in check the drugs inventory.
• To ensure follow up with the patients:
  
  • Tele-callers facility were established at the State Headquarter.
  • Follow up with the patients throughout the treatment was ensured.

Programme Outcomes

• The screening drives outcomes in screening near about 4,000 positive patients out of approx. 90,000 persons.
• It helped the State in Progressing towards goal of eliminating Hepatitis-C from the State.

Scalability

• Model is highly flexible to be scaled in ICTC centres, De-addiction centres, Prisons and also among high risk population at the level of entire State/country.
• It is subjected to manpower & financial constraints.
• The state of Haryana already scaled this model to all the prisons in the State.
• All 19 prisons given status of treatment centres and testing as well as treatment of all positive identified prisoners being done in Prison itself.

Implementation Partner

Screening drives were conducted in collaboration with Shri Gopal Jimaharaj Sansthan (NGO).

Financial Implications

Whole screening Programme as well as HR services was funded by Shri Gopal Jimaharaj Sansthan (NGO).

Source : We Care Coffee Table Book - Good, Replicable and Innovative Practices 2019