<p>The number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis infections is increasing and already accounts for 3,500 deaths daily, according to this report by the World Health Organization (WHO).</p>
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said yesterday the poor conditions of Colombo schools have contributed to the current outbreak of Hepatitis in the city. Dr. Kariyawasam said most of the small schools in the city lack basic sanitation facilities and the toilets were in very poor condition and lacked water supply. Some schools were found without proper drinking water facilities according to him. Schools have been subjected to inspection as it was found that the majority of the infected persons during the past two months were of school attending age. Accordingly there had been 39 cases of Hepatitis and all of them were reported to be school children. Dr. Kariyawasam explained the outbreak was reaching its peak level but was confident that it would be under control in a few weeks time. The CMC has carried out intensive house to house inspections and education programmes to prevent further spread of the disease. Thousands of leaflets have been distributed among the residents in Modera, Mahawatte, Mattakkuliya and Bloemendhal areas. Water samples were taken from the main lines and checked for germs and all were found to be negative. Dr. Kariyawasam explained the CMC has planned to carry out disinfection programmes in schools from today. All water supply points would undergo chlorination. "However, there has to be a long term plan to build proper toilet facilities and provide adequate water supply to these schools which are attended by children of marginalised families/communities in the city,' he said .
SAPPORO (Kyodo) Hundreds of people who contracted hepatitis B in their childhood through mandatory vaccinations will file a series of damages suits against the government starting next month, according to a group of lawyers. The move comes after the Diet moved to enact relief measures in January for people who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood products and fought their cases against the government in court. Lawsuits will be filed at a total of 11 district courts across Japan. The lawyers' group said after a meeting Saturday in Sapporo that the government has failed to present concrete measures to redress other patients following a Supreme Court ruling in 2006 ordering it to compensate five hepatitis B victims. In that ruling, the top court recognized causal links between the plaintiffs' inoculations and infections. It also found the government responsible for physicians using the same hypodermic needles repeatedly when giving group vaccinations at public health centers. Vaccinations against several diseases had been mandated by the government prior to 1994 but are now only recommended, following a number of lawsuits involving side effects from inoculations. The first group of about 20 patients, who are believed to have contracted hepatitis B from group vaccinations because transmission of the virus from their mothers was unlikely, will go to the Sapporo District Court on March 28. They are seeking compensation of
