Taiwan's experience of fighting Hepatitis B virus (HBV,
Hepatitis B virus is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world. Around 10 percent of those infected with this virus develop chronic HBV infection, one of the leading causes of cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. These diseases cause an estimated 10,000 deaths in Taiwan annually.
According to doctors over 20 billion people in the world have been infected by Hepatitis B, and 350 million of them have become carriers of chronic HBV infection.
The virus is widespread in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Approximately 75 percent of the world's HBV carriers are in Asia. According to the statistics, there are more than 260 million people in Asia who currently suffer from the disease.
Due to the outstanding contribution from Taiwan's doctors in this field, Taiwan's liver disease experts Chen Ting-hsin (
Consequently they were asked to devise an HBV prevention guide, to help out other Asian countries with their HBV prevention programs.
According to the guide, there are two goals to curing Hepatitis B virus: The short-term goal is to reduce the possibility of liver inflammation; the long term goal is to kill the virus, or limit multiplication of the virus.
According to the doctors, it takes six to 12 months to complete the treatment.
"Liver function will recover after patients have taken the complete course of treatment," the doctors said. "Their HBeAG (e,
However, the doctors stressed that patients who have a normal liver function should not take such a course of treatment, otherwise they could cause the virus to develop a resistance to the drugs.
The doctors said observation and examination was essential, in the course of treatment. Regular examinations for liver function, HBeAG, and infected DNA, would be needed every three months.
Lamivudine, (
Doctors are now studying the effectiveness of Lamivudine for long term treatments and are experimenting with combining it with other medicines.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS