.

Health Tip : Urgent Measures Required to Halt the Spread of Hepatitis

 


As the world commemorates this year's World Hepatitis Day with the theme "We Are Not Waiting," focus is on the escalating prevalence of the disease within Nigeria and the pressing need for more effective actions to address it. With an estimated 20 million Nigerians grappling with this ailment, often unaware until it becomes life-threatening, the urgency for robust proactive measures is undeniable.

The lack of sustained action is not due to official unawareness of the issue. Just recently, Eyoanwan Otu, the spouse of the Governor of Cross River State, emphasized the necessity for robust cooperation between the government and the private sector while hosting a delegation from the federal health ministry. Among other things, she advocated for heightened public awareness campaigns regarding the nature and hazards of hepatitis, alongside improved public access to treatment.

This aligns with the central message of this year's anti-hepatitis campaign. In this regard, the World Hepatitis Alliance has called upon nations to accelerate elimination efforts and acknowledge the critical requirement for testing and treatment for those genuinely in need.

In July 2022, the Nigerian government unveiled a national strategic framework aimed at eradicating viral hepatitis within the country. The then Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, underscored the pillars required to attain the 2030 target, encompassing infant vaccination, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, blood and injection safety, harm reduction, diagnosis, and treatment. He stressed the importance of extensive public awareness, emphasizing the commitment to eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030.

These commendable objectives must not be allowed to languish as mere unfulfilled promises.

Viral hepatitis has evolved into a significant national and global public health challenge. It manifests in five distinct forms – A, B, C, D, and E – each linked to a different virus. The chronic variants of Hepatitis B and C contribute to 95 percent of hepatitis-related illnesses and untimely deaths.

Hepatitis D is less prevalent and emerges only in conjunction with hepatitis B. On the other hand, A and E spread through contaminated food and water, causing acute infections and outbreaks in regions marked by poor sanitation and insufficient waste management.

The transmission of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV), similar to HIV, is exacerbated by unsafe sexual practices, improper injection practices, risky blood transfusions, and other unsafe behaviors such as sharing toothbrushes or sharp objects for tattooing and scarification. Additionally, mother-to-child transmission plays a role.

Tragically, a considerable portion of individuals with severe forms of the disease, particularly the B and C viruses, remain unaware of their infection, enabling its unchecked proliferation and consequent damage to the liver.

Within Africa, including Nigeria, hepatitis constitutes a concealed epidemic. The 2018 Nigeria HIV-AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey reported that "more than 90 million people are affected by hepatitis in the region, accounting for 26 percent of the global total. Nigeria has a prevalence rate of 8.1 percent for HBV and 1.1 percent for HCV among adults aged 15-64 years."

GAVI, the vaccine alliance, reveals that HBV is 100 times more contagious than HIV and claims the lives of 884,000 individuals annually. The Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS reported approximately 1.3 million new HIV infections worldwide in 2022, with around 630,000 deaths resulting from AIDS-related illnesses.

According to WHO data, an estimated 354 million people globally are living with hepatitis B or C, with testing and treatment remaining elusive for most. Alarmingly, every 30 seconds, a person succumbs to a hepatitis-related ailment, amounting to an average of 3,600 fatalities each day.

The situation in Nigeria is concerning; over 20 million people grapple with hepatitis B, C, or both, and more than 80 percent of them are unaware of their status.

As with other health issues, women and children remain vulnerable segments. While pregnant women face higher case fatality rates due to HEV, newborns and children are particularly susceptible to all forms of viral hepatitis. An overwhelming majority of infected infants develop chronic hepatitis B, and a significant fraction subsequently experience severe liver disease.

Despite official awareness and donor-supported vaccines being available in Nigeria since 2004, the nation harbors the largest number of children worldwide living with HBV infection. Universal hepatitis B vaccines administered within 24 hours of birth offer protection; however, the US Centers for Disease Control underscores that over half of newborns globally miss this critical vaccination. In 2022, only 52 percent of Nigerian infants received the recommended birth dose, with just 62 percent completing the additional recommended three-dose series.

This laxity is compounded by a 2022 World Bank report indicating Nigeria's minimal spending on health, social protection, and education, which undermines the quality of available healthcare and educational services.

Experts stress that hepatitis B is both preventable and treatable. Vaccination is an effective preventive measure, and oral antiviral medications can treat it, often requiring lifelong usage to suppress the viral load. However, for effective progression prevention, treatment should commence within the first three months of infection. The Nigerian government must institute policies ensuring citizens' access to testing and treatment for hepatitis.

Uganda, Rwanda, and Cape Verde have dedicated greater resources to achieving a 99 percent birth dose vaccination rate, free national hepatitis B treatment, and cost-free treatment for hepatitis B and C, respectively. Cape Verde finances all vaccine services and has implemented hepatitis screening and vaccination for pregnant women

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post