Hepatitis B is another leading cause of morbidity in the Tibetan diaspora. It is a virus spread by contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. Chronic infection with hepatitis B can lead to severe liver damage, and in turn liver failure, cancer, or cirrhosis. According to the Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Health, “among the communicable diseases, hepatitis B and tuberculosis (TB) are the two diseases that plague the Tibetan Refugee communities living in India and Nepal. The prevalence of hepatitis B is estimated to be much higher among the Tibetan refugee population living in the Indian subcontinent as compared to the local host population.” Fortunately there is an effective vaccine.
