As Nigeria joined the world community to mark the 2021 World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said over 124,000 Africans die every year from the consequences of undetected and untreated hepatitis.
In a message to mark the day, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti disclosed that around 4.5 million African children under five years old are infected with chronic hepatitis B, reflecting an enormous 70 per cent of the global burden in this age group.
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While the global target of less than one per cent incidence of hepatitis B in children under five years has been reached, the African Region is lagging behind at 2.5 per cent, the statement showed.
This year’s theme is ‘Hepatitis Can’t Wait’.
Moeti, however, called on all countries to rapidly improve access to services to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis.
The WHO celebrates World Hepatitis Day on July 28, to increase awareness of this disease, which inflames the liver and can lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.
In Africa, hepatitis is a silent epidemic as more than 90 million people are living with hepatitis in the region, accounting for 26 per cent of the global total.
Most of these cases could be prevented by eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the disease, during or shortly after birth and in early childhood. Key interventions against hepatitis B include vaccination at birth and in early childhood, screening pregnant women, and providing timely treatment.
So, in the WHO African Region, we are urging especially that “mothers can’t wait,” she said.
“We are encouraging countries to integrate the Hepatitis B PMTCT in the Ante-Natal Care package together with the HIV and Syphilis PMTCT programme.
“Yet only 14 countries in the region are implementing hepatitis B birth-dose vaccines.”
Among people who are infected, nine out of 10 have never been tested because of limited awareness and access to testing and treatment. Even among countries offering hepatitis B birth-dose vaccines, health systems are facing challenges in ensuring pregnant women and mothers are tested and that those who test positive are treated.
At the same time, there are many promising developments on hepatitis.
According to the WHO regional director for Africa, with the launch of the first global strategy on hepatitis in 2016, along with increased advocacy in recent years, political will is starting to translate into action. Hepatitis medicines have become much more affordable, with prices as low as $60 per patient for a 12-week treatment.
