On the Estimation of Survival Time and Identification

Developing countries are undergoing a rapid epidemiological transition - from infectious diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia to chronic ones such as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis etc - that threatens to overwhelm their strapped health systems and cripple their fragile economies (Heidi Worley, 2006). Chronic conditions and diseases are leading cause of mortality and morbidity, accounting for 60% of total premature deaths all over world out of which 53% is in India (WHO). Liver disease represents a major problem for the health care systems and of course, for the patients. Especially chronic liver disease is a growing problem. One third of the world's total population (2 billion) has been infected with hepatitis B virus of whom more than 350 million people (perhaps 400 million) are inflicted by chronic HBV and about 170 million by hepatitis C. 20% of those patients with chronic liver diseases from viral hepatitis might develop a liver cirrhosis which might end in the need of a liver transplantation.