ANAKALUSUGAN Party-list Rep. Ray T. Reyes on Thursday said he wants more programs to promote early detection and prevention of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD).

“Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is a potentially fatal condition with no symptoms at the early stages. This is why many people are unaware that they have it until it’s too late,” he said.

“The good news is that it is easily preventable if diagnostic tests for detection are standardized and normalized for all,” he added.

Reyes also expressed concern over the rising cases of NAFLD in the country and how it can affect people with comorbidities.

“Sa bansa natin one in 14 adults ang may diabetes samantalang 38.6 percent ng adults ay overweight o obese. Lahat po sila ay mataas ang risk na magkaroon ng NAFLD,” he said.

“Early detection is key and we need to have programs in place to enable intervention at a stage when the disease can still be controlled and potentially reversed,” he added.

A recent webinar hosted by the Hepatology Society of the Philippines showed that NAFLD affects about 10 to 20 percent of the Filipino population.

Meanwhile, the Global State of Liver Health 2022 Report published by the Global Liver Institute showed that in the Philippines, approximately 16,500 individuals die from liver disease complications per year.

“As we enter the new year, I hope that we also have a renewed focus on health and how we can provide quality and accessible healthcare to our kababayans,” Reyes said.

NAFLD is a disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the liver often leading to liver damage, disease, or even liver failure.

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Ryan Ponce Pacpaco