Dangers of Hepatitis in Nigeria

Fri, Aug 2, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Health

JULY 28 of every year marks the World Hepatitis day by the United Nations, UN to raise global awareness about the disease and has “Eliminate Hepatitis” as its theme for 2019, focusing on “Finding the Missing Millions”.

In Nigeria, its becoming a constant disease that kills when untreated fast. We are careless to know and understand the effects of this viral disease and has paid less or no attention to its symptoms, causes and treatments.

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver, commonly caused by viral infection, but there are other possible causes such as autoimmune hepatitis and hepatitis that occurs as a secondary result of medications, drugs, toxins and alcohol. There are five common types of the disease, namely: Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

Hepatitis A can be spread through infected faeces, poor sanitation, and certain sex practices, while Hepatitis B can be spread via exposure to infected blood, semen or other bodily fluids. Hepatitis C is usually transmitted through exposure to infected blood.

Evelyn Ngige, a doctor told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in an interview that “it takes just 15 minutes in a nearby government facility to know your Hepatitis status.”

“Nigerians should always go for test to know their status to help prevent liver diseases and other complications,” she said.

According to him, effective vaccine for Hepatitis B is available in the country, explaining that “Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for infants less than one year, including birth dose, children and adolescents age one to 11 years and vulnerable adults, healthcare workers, sex workers and people who inject drugs.

“Adults, who are not infected with Hepatitis B viral infection should talk with their healthcare providers to see if it is appropriate to be vaccinated,” she said.

In the same, Adenike Enikuomehin, a consultant endocrinologist with the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Akure Annex, warned that careless body piercing for tattoos can put users at the risk of contracting Hepatitis. “Sharing of sharp objects is now common these days with the advent and more acceptability of tattoos and scarification marks.

“People appear to be less bothered about whether the sharp objects are sterilised before being used on them which puts them at the risks of contracting Hepatitis.

“One of the means of contracting Hepatitis, especially the chronic one, is through sharing of unscreened blood from contact with sharp objects.

However, early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis helps in reducing increasing incidences of liver problems and deaths,” she said.

Research said that most acute hepatitis infections brought on by the hepatitis A, B, C and E virus will resolve on their own over several weeks or months, according to the National Institute of Health, NIH. It also stated that severe cases of acute hepatitis B can be treated with antiviral drugs such as lamivudine ‘trade name Epivir’.

Chronic hepatitis B and C infections ‘which do not get better on their own after a few months’ may be treated with antiviral medications such as paginated interferon ‘peginterferon’ injections or oral antivirals such as lamivudine for hepatitis B or ribavirin ‘trade name Copegus, Rebetol, Ribasphere’ for hepatitis C. Ribavirin must be taken with peginterferon in order for it to be an effective treatment against hepatitis C, according to NIH. Liver transplants may be necessary if the liver is severely damaged.

– Aug. 2, 2019 @ 18:05 GMT |

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