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Health Ministry on Friday (September 27, 2024) warned about the emerging cause of a liver disease recognised as Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) while releasing the revised Operational Guidelines and Training Module of NAFLD.
The Ministry stated that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for more than 66% of deaths in the country. NAFLD may be considered a silent epidemic, with a community prevalence ranging from 9% to 32% depending on factors such as age, gender, area of residence, and socioeconomic status. The Ministry indicated that out of 10 persons, 1 to 3 persons will have fatty liver or a related disease.
While addressing the session, the Union Health Secretary said, “India has taken the lead in recognising NAFLD as a major public health concern, linked with metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases,” as stated in the press release.
It also said that NCDs are deeply associated and normally linked with major behaviour risk factors such as the use of tobacco, alcohol use, poor diet, insufficient physical activity, and even air pollution.
Health Ministry’s Guidelines to Control Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease?
According to the ministry, there was a dire need to revise the guidelines with updated information to prevent and control NAFLD.
The guidelines highlight on health promotion and early detection to ensure that patients with NAFLD receive timely and appropriate care.
Further, it explains that effective management of NAFLD requires a good understanding of the disease condition and a capacity to implement evidence-based interventions at all levels of healthcare.
The Training Module for NAFLD is developed to help build the capacity of healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, manage, and prevent NAFLD, particularly at the primary level.
The module encompasses a broad spectrum of topics: epidemiology, risk factors, screening, diagnostic protocols, and standardized treatment guidelines. Additionally, it underscores the significance of early detection, patient education, lifestyle modification, and integrated care strategies to enhance health outcomes.
They also highlighted the importance of early screening and diagnosis for timely intervention to halt disease advancement.
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Signs and Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease
When a fatty liver disease is present, the highlighted symptoms could include:
-Abdominal pain, feeling of fullness in the upper right side of your belly.
-Feeling Extreme weakness.
-In advanced stages, sometimes people feel nausea, loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss, yellowish skin, swelling in the abdomen, legs, feet, or hands, and bleeding (found in your oesophagus, stomach, or rectum).
The Bottom Line
The Ministry emphasized that managing NAFLD effectively requires a solid understanding of the disease and the ability to apply proven interventions across all levels of healthcare. It added that the NAFLD training module is designed to support the Operational Guidelines by equipping healthcare professionals, especially at the primary level, with the knowledge and skills to identify, manage, and prevent NAFLD.
