By Lexi Elo
About 20 million Nigerians are believed to be infected with the Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV), Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, a community health physician has said. This statistics means that one in every 12 Nigerians is infected with the Hepatitis B or C.
As Nigeria joined the globe to mark World Hepatitis Day, Dr. Anyaike stated that viral hepatitis is a very big public health issue in Nigeria.
“With the work Federal Ministry of Health has done, we have 20 million Nigerians living with Hepatitis B and C and they are at the risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver and cancer of the liver. Most importantly, these ones are living in the communities and they are not aware of it and in the same process, they are transferring the infection to other people in the community.”
“What we should do is to create the awareness and to sensitise people on the burden of Viral Hepatitis in Nigeria, and for the various strata of the government to commit some funds to fight viral Hepatitis in the country,” Dr Anyaike said.
Dr. Rosemary Audu, Deputy Director, Research, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba said that the World Health Organisation has recognised the HBV as a silent killer. While the infection is preventable with the currently available safe and effective vaccine, Dr. Audu noted that most people in sub-Saharan Africa become infected during childhood and 5 to 10 % of the adult population is chronically infected.
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According to Dr. Audu “It is very important to know your hepatitis B and C status in order to reduce the risk of infecting others if you are infected, consider your treatment options and self-management strategies as early as possible. Knowing your status will also help to prevent complications such as liver cirrhosis and cancer and improve the quality of life. In Nigeria, it has been found that people report for health care only when the viral disease has advanced and the risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer is very high.”
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She continued “Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. The routes of transmission include the following: Transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, unsterilised medical or dental equipment, mother to child transmission during childbirth, and sharing equipment for injecting drugs. Other methods include sharing razors, toothbrushes or other household articles; tattooing and body piercing using unsterilised equipment; unprotected sex with an infected person.”
While there is no specific treatment for acute infection except proper nutrition and fluid replacement, research has shown that for chronic infection, oral antiviral agents are used.
Medical experts, however, note that measures to prevent of hepatitis B infection include health education for the public and health workers, immunisation of non-immune persons, screening of pregnant women and immunisation of babies born to infected women, blood and organ screening before transfusion or transplantation, proper disposal of sharps and no recycling of disposable instruments used for medical procedures as well as sterilisation of instruments used by traditional medical practitioners.