PANAJI
The Goa government has launched a Statewide public health campaign to screen three lakh adults for fatty liver disease over the next three years, marking the State’s first dedicated program for early detection and prevention of liver disorders linked to metabolic illnesses.
The initiative, titled ‘Liver Forever’, is being implemented in partnership with Zydus Healthcare and will focus on identifying cases of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), conditions that can progress to liver cirrhosis, liver failure and Type-2 diabetes if left untreated.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the program would be integrated into Goa’s public healthcare system and leverage the network of Primary Health Centres for community-level screening. At the same time, Goa Medical College would serve as the referral centre for advanced diagnostics and treatment.
Officials said the campaign builds on screening pilots conducted by the State’s Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Cell and aims to cover nearly one-fifth of Goa’s adult population.
“Under the programme, screening data will be linked to the State’s existing health databases, enabling authorities to identify and monitor patients suffering from diabetes, obesity and hypertension, all of which are major risk factors for fatty liver disease,” reads a statement issued on Saturday.
The government said the initiative would go beyond screening and include lifestyle counselling, medical intervention and long-term follow-up care for patients found to be at risk.
Rane said the campaign forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen preventive healthcare and reduce the burden of chronic diseases.
“By deploying a comprehensive screening programme for three lakh citizens through the Department of Health Services and Goa Medical College, we are changing the paradigm from reactive treatment to proactive, Statewide prevention,” he said.
Swati Dalal, Managing Director of Zydus Healthcare Ltd, said the partnership seeks to improve awareness, early diagnosis and disease management through a combination of public education, diagnostic support and healthcare infrastructure.
The company said the initiative is part of its wider liver health awareness campaign and aims to strengthen early detection and treatment outcomes across the State.
