Mumbai, Feb 25 (IANS): Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says it is unfortunate to have come across stories about married women who are thrown out of their house because they are suffering from Hepatitis B. He is against this kind of discrimination towards women and says he will fight for it as long as he is alive.

Amitabh was addressing the media at the launch of a national action plan combating Viral Hepatitis in India along with Maharashtra Minister for PWD, Public Health and Family Welfare Eknath Shinde here on Sunday.

"I was interested in this great campaign that the government of India and other associations including the World Health Organisation (WHO) have put into practice. My family doctor and his other doctor friends visited me and made me aware of that... how very little is known about it," said the cine icon.

"I immediately agreed in whatever way I could. There were two things that attracted me, first thing was dissemination of information about Hepatitis B. Most people aren't aware of this disease but it is a life threatening one so, I felt it's my duty as a citizen of India to create awareness about it."

He also said that he feels sad when he sees discrimination towards women when it comes to fighting with diseases.

"Second thing that surprised and hurt me was that the factor of discrimination particularly to women... it's really unfortunate that I have come across such stories where married women are thrown out of their house because they are suffering from Hepatitis B.

"Women are half of the power of the country. They are the strength of our country so, they must be treated with respect and dignity that they deserve. If we begin to discriminate them, just because they are suffering from a particular disease, then it is not acceptable and I will fight for this as long as I am alive."

Talking about himself, he said: "Today, I am free from tuberculosis because it was diagnosed and treated at the right time so, I feel we must pay a lot of attention to the process of detections of these diseases because if they are detected on time, then there is a cure and I am an example of that."