Sub-topic: Others of Public Interest
Hepatitis B is the Major Killer of the Chinese
Date: 23/Oct/2002
Dr George Lau Ka-Kit, a senior lecturer in the Division of gastroenterology and
hepatology at the University of Hong Kong, who is also one of the recipients of this
year’s 10 Outstanding Young Persons Award, said that hepatitis B was one of the
major killers of the Chinese. It is estimated that about one-third of the 400 million
hepatitis B carriers in the world are Chinese.
The reason that hepatitis B is a major killer in the Chinese population is due to
heredity. The virus can pass from parents to their offspring. Nowadays, about
one-third to one-fourth of hepatitis B patients die of liver cancer or cirrhosis in their
40s or 50s, and 90% of those who suffer from liver cancer are hepatitis B carriers.
The death is a great loss to the society.
Dr Lau estimated that there were about 700,000 hepatitis carriers in Hong Kong.
However, situation in the Mainland was even worse. There were about 120 million
hepatitis carriers. Among the population of 1.2 billion, only 69% of the newborn
babies had received preventive injection. In order to save more Chinese from
hepatitis, Dr Lau and his research team are developing a therapeutic vaccine to cure
the disease.
Discussions / Questions / Main Points:
1. State the main reason that hepatitis B is a major killer in the Chinese population.
Answer:
1. It is estimated that about one-third of the 400 million hepatitis B carriers in the
world are Chinese. The reason that hepatitis B is a major killer in the Chinese
population is due to heredity. The virus can pass from parents to their
offspring.
[End of passage]