ULAN BATOR, July 26 (Xinhua) -- More than 10 percent of Mongolia's population are living with hepatitis B and C, the country's health minister said Thursday.
"Mongolia has the world's highest rate of liver cancer by hepatitis B and C, as well as the highest mortality rate from the disease. Mongolia aims to stop new cases of hepatitis B and C, and dramatically reduce the death rate caused by liver cirrhosis and cancer by 2020," Health Minister Davaajantsan Sarangerel told Xinhua during a press conference for World Hepatitis Day, which falls on July 28.
To achieve the goal, the "Whole-Liver Mongolia" national program was launched in May 2017. Over 350,000 people aged 40-65 were tested for hepatitis B and C for free in the first phase and over 70 percent of the people diagnosed with hepatitis received life-saving treatment.
Mongolia, which has a 3-million population, lost over 1,600 people to liver cancer last year. About 80 percent of liver cancer cases in the country are diagnosed at a late stage, the minister said.
The Health Ministry and the World Health Organization will co-organize an official event in the capital on Friday. Cancer specialists will offer free medical check-ups and provide information about cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B and C to improve people's awareness of hepatitis infections and help early detection of infections or cancer.
