Hepatitis B and C is a major world health problem. More than 2 billion of world population infected with hepatitis B virus, and over 360 million to people with chronic and has the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Meanwhile, about 130-170 million is a person with hepatitis C virus, with mortality rates of more than 350 thousand per year. Although not a direct cause of death, but the disease raises the problem of hepatitis at the age when patients should be productive as a development resource.

It was announced by Minister of Health, dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, MPH, Dr.PH at the opening of the 3rd China-Indonesia Joint Symposium on Hepatobiliary Medicine and Surgery in Jakarta, June 24, 2010. The event was also attended by First Lady Hj. Ani Yudhoyono, Ambassador Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary of the PRC, the Governor of DKI Jakarta, the Big Board Composite PPHI, PGI and PEGI as well as participants from various countries in the Asia Pacific region.

She believed that these serious challenges that we all need attention. Therefore, it should be immediately collected data and information more and more complete to base policy formulation in order to place the control of hepatitis disease in a higher priority list.

In addition, experts and medical and health practitioners working in the field of clinical hepatologist and communicable disease control managers need to work shoulder to shoulder in formulating measures to deal with this problem. Both of the aspects of diagnostic, prevention, treatment, and health promotion. Attention should be given not only at local and national level but also at regional and global levels.

In addition, the problem of hepatitis disease, the Indonesian Government to place prevention as an important effort. Both prevent the occurrence of disease, or halt the progression of the disease by early detection, so as not to develop into a worse complication causing suffering and socioeconomic burden of families, communities and countries.

Hepatitis prevention efforts in Indonesia began to instill awareness of the importance of this issue by the Government, together with the Public. Real effort has been initiated with the hepatitis B immunization program in 1997, with the main target infants under one year. In 2003, upgraded to include a newborn and has now been implemented throughout Indonesia and have been successful in reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B in children under four years from 6.2% to 1.4%., Menkes said.

To know the magnitude of health problems, for the first time in history in 2007, the Ministry of Health did Health Research Association (Riskesdas). In this survey have been collected and examined blood samples from 30,000 households in 294 districts / cities across Indonesia.

Biomedical examination results showed that the prevalence of HBsAg of 9.7% in men and 9.3% in women, with the highest rates in the age group 45-49 years amounted to 11.9%. Meanwhile, the prevalence of people infected with hepatitis B have demonstrated with anti-HBc rate of 34%, and tended to increase with increasing age. This means that horizontal transmission is an important role in the spread of hepatitis B. For hepatitis C, is shown with anti-HCV positive rate of 0.8%, the highest figure in the age group 55-59 years - that is equal to 2.12%. All these data are population-based national data that can be used as a basis for implementing various health measures and as a basis for further research, said Minister of Health.

As countries in the Asia Pacific region, Indonesia and China have the same load, ie load as a hepatitis B endemic area, with many similarities in the structure of society, social, economic and educational levels. "To that end, cooperation between the two countries, from prevention to treatment needs to be developed into a close cooperation in the field of research, both basic and applied sciences", said Minister of Health.

In addition, Indonesia as the representative of WHO member countries in Southeast Asia in the trial World Health Organization Executive Board in January 2010, along with Brazil and Columbia, has proposed a resolution of Hepatitis Virus appointed as world issues.

Proposals received and discussed at trial or the World Health Assembly World Health Assembly in May 2010 to 63 months. World Health Assembly which is the highest forum member countries of WHO and Indonesia agreed on the proposal and designated as the WHA Resolution on Viral Hepatitis.

Core resolution calling for all countries in the world have addressed in a comprehensive hepatitis B, ranging from prevention to treatment, and includes perbagai aspects including surveillance and research. "The resolution which is the initiative of Indonesia, also established the World Hepatitis Day - World Hepatitis Day - falls on July 28 every year," explained Minister of Health.

The 3rd China-Indonesia Joint Symposium Hepatobiliary Surgery was held to commemorate 60 years of relations between Indonesia and China.

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