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Victoria Mindova

Over 400 thousand are the registered people infected with hepatitis C and B in Greece and the unofficial number is significantly higher most likely. Hepatitis is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer, and hundreds of thousands of people could carry the virus without having any idea of that. These are the data of the Greek Association for the Study of Hepatitis according to which the uncontrolled increase in illegal immigration and poor public awareness are the main reasons for the extension of the problem.

"Among economic migrants, the highest percentages of carriers of hepatitis B in Greece are Albanians," said the President of the Association Stiliyanos Karatzapanis. He explained that Albania applied the procedures for re-use of needles for many years, which led to the spread of the disease in the migrants from there. According to recent studies, there is a serious increase in sexually transmitted diseases and those due to poor hygiene of life.

"Hepatitis has five different forms, which are divided into A, B, C, D and E. The A and E types are sharp and could be cured more quickly. More serious is the situation with hepatitis B and C, which could become chronic if not treated and could lead to serious problems. Hepatitis D occurs in combination with hepatitis B," explained Karatzapanis exclusively for GRReporter. The worst thing is that the chronic hepatitis type B and C have almost no symptoms. Therefore, we call it the "silent killer". When the symptoms such as pigmentation changes (yellowing of the skin) and weakening of the body appear, the disease is in the incurable final stage. It can cause liver cirrhosis and cancer and chemotherapy can hardly affect them in this form.
 
The chronic hepatitis B and C are transmitted sexually and through the blood. People living with someone who is infected are at risk as well as those whose sexual partner is infected, people who take drugs by injections, newborns of infected mothers, people working in the health care, and chaemodialysis patients. "The best way people can protect themselves from these severe forms of hepatitis is the same as for the prevention of AIDS - using condoms, limiting the number of sexual partners," explained the specialist. There is a vaccine for hepatitis B, but hepatitis C remains incurable and there is no protection from it. Hepatitis A is known as the "disease of dirty hands" and it occurs due to poor personal hygiene, contaminated food or water.

The problems with hepatitis diseases are not new in Greece, Ioanna Pavlopoulou told GRReporter, who is in charge of the public intervention program at the Ministry of Health. She manages the program for the access of the most high-risk groups such as homeless, toxic dependents, illegal immigrants and people exposed to street prostitution.

 "We see that there is an increase in diseases such as AIDS and various forms of hepatitis in the people from these groups." The Ministry has secured two mobile medical units at the historical centre of Athens, near Omonia Square and the people can visit them every day between 4 pm and 11 pm.

This pilot project has been running from March 2011 and five mobile medical units are expected to start operating by the end of September this year. People can make tests for various diseases there and find psychological support and information for further treatment. We asked the manager of the program if the people at risk, which often move in the edge or beyond the law, are willing to trust them. She stressed that the task of the mobile medical units is not to inspect the legality of people’s residence or business but their health. "The goal is to help these people and thereby protect public health."

According to the observations of the specialists from the mobile units, the most common are skin diseases like scabies. There are also some very serious cases of tuberculosis, but in no case, they are as widespread as skin diseases, said Ioanna Pavlopoulou. There are cases of tuberculosis in large urban areas in Greece, mainly because of increasing illegal immigration. Due to the uncontrolled flood of illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Africa and other troubled regions, the incidence of lung disease is increasing and forgotten public health problems are occurring.

The main task of the mobile units today is to describe the problems of the needy and to direct them to proper treatment. "We can not force the people to treat themselves but in most cases, they do not even have an idea of ​​what diseases they are suffering, or just have a hunch, but are not absolutely sure. There is a direct relation with the way of life." Pavlopoulou explained that people who find out that they are carriers of the AIDS virus react in different ways. Some are shocked, others accept it quietly, third fall into despair. Almost all, however, seek treatment, which can guarantee them the quality of life for many years. "Maintenance medications are so advanced that they have turned AIDS from a fatal illness into a chronic disease."