Bihar begins statewide screening for fatty liver disease
The Healthy Liver – Healthy Bihar initiative aims to screen six crore people across 38 districts for various non-communicable diseases.
Bihar has launched a statewide screening drive for fatty liver disease as part of the Healthy Liver – Healthy Bihar initiative, according to a report by India Today. The doorstep campaign, titled Jaanch Evam Uochar, Aapke Dwar, is running from September until 30 November and covers all 38 districts of the state.
The state aims to screen approximately six crore people for fatty liver, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, lung disease, common cancers, and other conditions. In the first fortnight of the campaign, more than 85 lakh people were screened for non-communicable diseases.
Dr S K Sarin, Director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, stated at the HealthWealth Summit 2026 that nearly one in three Indians has fatty liver disease. He noted that the condition can lead to diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease.
Medical experts say the disease is increasingly diagnosed in people who consume little to no alcohol. Gastroenterologist Dr Pratap Behera of Manipal Hospital in Bhubaneswar said fried foods, packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and refined carbohydrates, alongside a sedentary lifestyle, are common causes.
Dr Vikas Jindal, a gastroenterologist with CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, said the condition is often asymptomatic in early stages and can affect lean individuals and younger adults. He noted it may go undetected until it progresses to liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.
An epidemiologist with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, said the challenge will be whether the health system can help people change their diets and activity levels after receiving positive results.