Mary Kom set to pack a punch with hepatitis awareness campaign

Six-time boxing world champion Mary Kom has thrown her weight behind a campaign to raise awareness about hepatitis and the Olympic medallist on Wednesday said she is committed to helping India deliver a knockout punch to the disease.

The 35-year-old mother-of-three is the face of the campaign launched by city-based Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).

"Fighting hepatitis is like fighting in boxing. As part of this campaign, we are all committed to knock hepatitis out of the country. I am happy to be part of this campaign as I am also a mother and I know vaccination is important for children to protect them," Kom told PTI on the sidelines of an event at ILBS here.

As part of the initiative, a short video featuring the ace boxer was released across 250 theatres in Delhi-National Capital Region on Wednesday.

The 80-second video features 'Magnificent Mary' in her boxing gear, highlighting the importance of awareness to fight the disease of hepatitis, a senior ILBS official said, adding that Kom became the ambassador of the campaign last year.

The World Health Organisation defines hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver. The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These five types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and deaths they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread.