It is obvious that Nigeria may not meet the 2030 deadline set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the elimination of all types of hepatitis due to poor awareness of the deadly virus and inadequate medical services. Considering that about 20 million Nigerians are living with hepatitis and many are not even aware of their status, there is an urgent need to increase the awareness about the lethal Hepatitis B and C and how to curtail the spread. The global agency says that some of the 20 million Nigerians with hepatitis are at risk of liver cancer.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. It is commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, in early childhood, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids during sex with an infected partner, unsafe injections or exposures to sharp instruments. Not less than 254 million people are said to be living with chronic Hepatitis B infection in the world in 2022, with 1.2 million new infections recorded each year. The global health agency said, in 2022, the disease led to an estimated 1.1 million deaths worldwide, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).
The burden of infection is highest in Western Pacific and African Region, where 97 million and 65 million people, respectively, are chronically infected. This is why all hands should be on deck to reverse the ugly trend. More awareness needs to be created on the symptoms and dangers posed by the virus, because some of the causative factors of the disease are often taken for granted in Nigeria. Every day, people are exposed to needle stick injuries, which are not sometimes discarded properly. Tattooing and piercing are becoming rampant and sometimes are done haphazardly by the youths. Many are exposed to infected blood and body fluids, including saliva, menstrual, seminal and vaginal fluids without knowing the implications.
Health facilities have also been fingered in the spread of hepatitis with use of contaminated needles, syringes and sharp objects. With the rising increase of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, unsterilised sharp objects have led to the circulation of the virus. The spread of hepatitis in Nigeria has been attributed to sexual transmission in the case of unvaccinated persons with multiple sexual partners. The good news is that having the virus is not a death sentence. It can be prevented by vaccines, which are available and effective. The vaccine is often administered after birth. Boosters are given a few weeks later and they offer nearly 100 per cent protection against the virus.
The symptoms of Hepatitis B include yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, feeling very tired, nausea, vomiting and pain in the abdomen. If left untreated, acute hepatitis could lead to liver failure and fatality. Like Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C is an infection caused by a virus that attacks the liver leading to inflammation. It is also spread by contact with contaminated blood, like sharing needles or from unsterile tattoo equipment, unscreened blood, through birth, labour or nursing. Millions of Nigerians are unaware of being infected because it can only be detected through diagnosis. Many have died in ignorance. Some have been treating malaria whereas they are suffering from hepatitis virus.
Recently, Borno State government and the WHO launched a hepatitis initiative, which included free testing and vaccination exercises to mitigate the effects on society. Salisu Audu, the WHO State Coordinator in Borno, said statistics had shown that only 36 per cent of people infected with Hepatitis C were diagnosed, while just 20 per cent received curative treatment. The five-year survival rate for liver cancer, he said, was only 20 per cent. He lamented that the human cost of hepatitis was enormous, with families and communities losing their loved ones to a preventable and treatable disease.
It is laudable that the global strategy to reduce new infections by 90 per cent and deaths by 65 per cent by 2030 has been launched. Medical experts opine that early diagnosis and treatment of the disease will save more lives. We encourage other states to do more to reduce the high prevalence of the disease in Nigeria and increase access to healthcare facilities and vaccination coverage. Nigerians should utilise the free screening, vaccination, and treatment services.