Coimbatore : A project to eradicate chronic hepatitis-C within a year in nearby Annur has been taken by the VGM Hospital.

With 21 villages in and around and a population of 72,000, Annur has recorded a high prevalence of hepatitis-C of about one to 11 per cent, as against the national average of about two per cent and 0.8 per cent in Coimbatore, Hospital Chairman V G Mohan Prasad told reporters here Friday.

The high prevalence came to light after the hospital organised 79 camps over a period of time. such a high rate of prevalence was the result of unsterilised ‘needle pricks’ by a village doctor, Mohan Prasad said.

The hospital is aiming to go for intensive screening through a door to door survey and try to eliminate chronic hepatitis C from the face of Annur by the next World Hepatitis Day falling on July 28, 2020, he said.

The 700 affected persons were brought to the hospital and treated for three consecutive months with antiviral medicines free of cost under the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Scheme, he said.

State Local Administration Minister, S P Velumani will inaugurate the project on August 11 in the presence of Assembly Speaker Dhanpal, his deputy Pollachi V Jayaraman and District Collector K Rajamani, he said.

Mohan Prasad said that 500 volunteers from Avinashilingam University for Women will carry out the door to door survey of the villagers, along with the Youth Foundation of India , Rotary and Lions clubs,