Expert urges government to subsidize anti-hepatitis B drugs

Adding anti-hepatitis B drugs to the insurance list of the city's medicine would solve severe health concerns, a senior medical expert has said.

"Taking anti-hepatitis B drugs is an effective way to reduce the risk of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver, but less than 20 percent of patients agree to do it," said Jia Jidong, director of the liver research center in the Beijing Friendship Hospital affiliated with the Capital Medical University.

He added that the main reason for most sufferers was the high cost of treatment.