LIVER DISEASE
We generally treat health problem as a priority when it gives
rise to substantial pain and suffering or is life threatening in
the short run. Most diseases of the liver corrode a person’s
body continuously but silently. Since liver diseases generally
do not present as a sudden and acute condition, they have
not received due attention in India where the per capita
expenditure on healthcare is very limited. Consequently,
there has not been much organized development in the
areas of healthcare delivery or public health resource
utilization for liver diseases in India. Lack of clarity in
scientific
understanding
of
liver
diseases
amongst
professionals has also added to the problem.
Policy Makers and Planners are generally more concerned about the number of deaths due to a
disease, the direct) e.g. healthcare resource utilization) and indirect (e.g.. workdays lost)
economic impact of the disease based on existing data. In the case of liver disease, data that
are required for health-care planning are grossly inadequate in liver diseases in different
regions of India.
Further – perhaps, most importantly, there is inadequate understanding of the causes and
processes that lead to liver diseases. These factors have resulted liver diseases being a lowpriority agenda for the country’s health planners. This scenario needs to be changed and the
change can happen with our concerted efforts.
 THE LIVER
Traditionally, the liver has often been thought of as guilty
whenever the body runs into troublesome function. This has
come from an age old belief that the liver holds the key to
good - life and well being : Thus ,“Pitta”(bile), that comes
from liver has been told to represent the state of the liver.
Over years, improvements in science has provided us a much
better and clear understanding of liver function and its’
disorders – but the theme remain the same. The liver by all
that it does try to influence the function of other organs of the
body and maintain tranquility in the body as a whole.
Liver is in the first line of defense and hence through the life-course of an individual, faces
many injuries – the strength and the nature of which varies. The causes include infections,
different drugs, high intake of alcohol, etc. When the liver suffers an injury, it usually heals by
itself, without any medication. However, if the injury exceeds a limit, or with repeated injury
or because of other problems in the human body (mostly unknown), this healing process puts
the surviving liver into trouble, depriving them of blood supply and nutrition. The liver slowly,
but often silently, starts to lose its capacity of functioning with full efficiency. At this time, the
components (called cells) of the liver become disorganized and an end-stage disease, called
cirrhosis of the liver, sets in. This is an unfortunate development. Although new information
reaching us tells that in early stages even cirrhosis can be improved, often these patients
reach doctor so late that the only option remain is to replace the unhealthy liver by a portion
of liver from a healthy person- liver transplantation. This is a difficult job - technically and an
even more difficult job is to find a donor liver. Acceptability and availability of liver
transplantation has got a social component that would foster awareness.
 Awareness on Liver
The best way to reduce disease burden of a country is for her citizens to recognize diseases in
themselves, be aware of the known diseases and taken preventive measures. This calls for
public awareness. An important obstacle in
propagating scientific awareness and education
about liver diseases are the associated stigma,
preconceived notions and misconceptions. Often,
cleansing these notions are replacing these by
scientifically enriched ideas may be as difficult a job
as fighting the disease itself. Thus, the liver
cirrhosis is often equated with alcohol intake and an
unregulated life. As a result, many patients try to
avoid seeking early medical help out of fear of
getting socially ostracized.
Such avoidance prevents detection of an early
stage of the disease. Thus, most often, people seek
medical help for liver disease only when the disease
has progressed to such a stage that available treatments are not beneficial and leads to
fatality. In addition, lots of magic remedies are practiced to treat persons afflicted with liver
disease. There is a great social need to raise public awareness and impart education regarding
liver diseases.
 Healthy Liver
Liver health, as focus, is an inseparable part of prevailing notions and approach to public
health in the society. Public health in India, despite its success has yet not attained the focus
it needs. An important limitation of public health
approaches in this country had been that it lacked the
clarity of understanding of what to achieve and the
philosophical bent of mind to convert a stubbornly
mechanical issue to a social movement. This is one of the
areas where Liver Foundation, West Bengal intends to
contribute.
Advances in molecular and cell biology as well as
proteomics and glycomics have changed the face of
Hepatology that we see today and envision for the next
couple of years. Over the last two decades, as the
language of science and knowledge have changed into
one of genes, signals and clones – few disciplines have
moved as fast as Hepatology into this brave new world. The stumbling block in understanding
of liver diseases earlier was that, the clinical manifestations are very late and the underlying
early phenomenon are too discrete and precise to be picked up by human hands, ears and the
eyes – the tools that we had in the era that preceded. But now, in the late eighties and early
nineties, human endeavour had focused on more precise delineation of the early phenomenon
in liver diseases, with an eye to develop potentially correctible interventions based on sound
principles of causation of liver disease.
VALUE ADDED LINKS :
1.
www.liverindia.com
2.
www.livertransplantindia.com
3.
www.chennailiverfoundation.org
4.
www.nlfindia.com
5.
www.cpaaindia.org/infocentre/clipping_lvrc.htm
6.
www.liverfoundation.org
7.
www.liver.ca
8.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver
9.
www.barcnetwork.org
10.
www.childliverdisease.org
11.
www.livercancer.com
12.
www.liverfacts.com
Contact Us & Source:
Liver Foundation, West Bengal
12, Dr. M Ishaque Road
(Formerly known as Kyd Street)
Iran Society House
Kolkata - 700 016
Phone : 91.33.2226 4675
E-mail : partha@liverfoundation.in, abhijit@liverfoundation.in
Website : www.liverfoundation.in