More than 91 million Africans live with Hepatitis B or C, which are the deadliest strains of the virus, according to a World Health Organisation scorecard.
The Viral Hepatitis Scorecard 2021 examines data from Africa but focuses on Hepatitis B and C, which cause liver cirrhosis and cancer, respectively. It was discovered that more than 8% of the population in 19 countries is infected with Hepatitis B, while more than 1% of the population in 18 countries is infected with Hepatitis C.
In 2020, the African region was responsible for 26% of the global burden of Hepatitis B and C, as well as 125,000 deaths.
According to the scorecard, Africa accounts for roughly 70% of all Hepatitis B infections worldwide.
“It can take decades after infection from the virus before an individual starts manifesting symptoms. Thus, what is particularly worrying for the future is that the region accounts for 70 percent of the global Hepatitis B cases found among children younger than 5 years, with 4.5 million African children infected. Currently, 33 countries have a Hepatitis B prevalence of more than one percent among children younger than 5 years, which is a small improvement from 40 countries in 2019,” it noted.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said hepatitis was a silent epidemic, but this scorecard is sounding an alarm for the region and the world to hear.
“We must do better and stop this disease from stealing away our children’s future. There is a safe and effective vaccine that offers nearly 100 percent protection against Hepatitis B, one of the deadliest strains of the virus. We must ensure that all African children are vaccinated within 24 hours of their birth and are followed up with two or more doses of the vaccine,” Moeti said.
“The number of countries with more than 90 percent coverage has increased from 23 in 2019 to 27 in 2021. Additionally, while the birth dose vaccine is administered in only 14 African countries, at an overall coverage of 10 percent, it is an increase from 11 countries in 2019.
“Hepatitis can be spread through contaminated blood products, and much more progress is needed to ensure blood safety. In the African region, only 80 percent of blood donations are screened with quality assurance, while five percent of syringes are re-used. Only six syringes are distributed per injecting drug user, compared to the global annual target of 200.
“Diagnosis and treatment rates are alarmingly low, the scorecard shows. In 2021, only an estimated two percent of persons infected with Hepatitis B were diagnosed, and only 0.1 percent were treated. For Hepatitis C, an estimated 5per cent of infected persons were diagnosed, with close to 0 percent treated,” the WHO said.
Dr. Moeti added that “To turn the tide, hepatitis services must move out of specialized clinics to decentralized and integrated facilities where most Africans still seek care. More primary health care workers need to be trained to diagnose and treat the virus.
“While there has been progress in making hepatitis medications affordable, still more needs to be done.”
World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28 annually and this year’s theme is ‘Bringing hepatitis care close to you.’
The Federal Government has developed a National Strategic Framework for eliminating viral hepatitis in the country by 2030.
The Federal Government said the framework was in line with the Global Health Sector Strategy for viral hepatitis control.