Indian Brand ambassador for WHO

NEW DELHI, MAY 13: Actor Amitabh Bachchan is appointed as the goodwill ambassador for Hepatitis in South-East Asia region, The World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director, Poonam Khetrapal Singh announced it on Friday.

Amitabh expressed his delight for the appointment of WHO as Goodwill Ambassador. He also said, he has been living with Hepatitis infection for more than three decades and is decided to the cause of eradicating it from the country.

'During shooting in 1982, I met with a mishap 200 donors donated their blood, one of them had the Infection, he said. He found out about the disease during a routine check-up in 2004.

Bachchan said, 'It was disturbing, 75% of my liver had been damaged. I am an example of someone who is surviving with only 25% of his liver functioning.'



WHO authorities display at the occasion underscored the need to recognize individuals with the condition and making pharmaceutical more moderate to individuals.

'Just 10% of individuals tainted with Hepatitis know about it. Most live with the condition for quite a long time without knowing it,' said Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO, southeast Asia area.

Poonam said 4.10 lakh people died in hepatitis in Southeast Asia including India.

She said that Amitabh will be participating in the program to educate people about this disease. Union Health Minister JP Nadda said that 'Amitabh has fans all over the country and his brand ambassador will help eliminate hepatitis.'