Hepatitis C infects one in five adult Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
New study finds infection rate nearly 19 times higher than surrounding Bangladeshi communities, exposing long-term health consequences of Myanmar's persecution and years of displacement
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Nearly one in five adult Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh’s sprawling camps is infected with Hepatitis C, according to new research that has uncovered one of the most serious yet overlooked health crises facing the stateless Muslim minority nearly eight years after they fled mass atrocities in neighboring Myanmar.
The findings, published by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh in the journal BMC Public Health, show that 18.97% of Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar are living with viral hepatitis, compared with just 2.01% of people in surrounding Bangladeshi communities.
The disparity is driven largely by Hepatitis C, which affects 17.24% of refugees—about 17 times the prevalence recorded among the local population.
Health officials say the crisis extends beyond those who fled Myanmar during the military’s 2017 crackdown.
According to The Daily Star, between 20% and 22% of nearly 150,000 Rohingya who arrived in Bangladesh in recent months also tested positive for Hepatitis C, suggesting the overwhelming majority of infections originated in Myanmar rather than spreading widely inside the refugee camps.
Doctors say Hepatitis C often remains undetected for years because many infected people experience only mild symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite or abdominal discomfort before the disease silently progresses to severe liver damage, cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Many refugees and medical experts attribute the high infection rate to unsafe healthcare practices in Myanmar before their displacement, including the reuse of syringes, unscreened blood transfusions, unhygienic traditional medical procedures and inadequate maternal healthcare.
Bangladesh has expanded screening and treatment efforts inside the camps, enrolling nearly 59,000 patients in antiviral therapy.
However, around 50,000 people diagnosed with the disease remain untreated because of funding shortages, raising concerns that thousands could develop life-threatening liver complications without timely care.
Researchers also warned that the health challenge is no longer confined to the refugee camps.
Hepatitis C prevalence among Bangladeshis living in the neighboring sub-districts of Ukhiya and Teknaf has reached 2.3% — more than double the national average — underscoring the need for continued surveillance and prevention efforts among both refugees and host communities.
The researchers urged Bangladesh to fully integrate Rohingya refugees into its national hepatitis elimination strategy by expanding access to testing, guaranteeing free antiviral treatment, strengthening infection-control measures and increasing screening for pregnant women and newborn vaccination against Hepatitis B.
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