Current Date:

Saturday, 05 August 2017
 

Feel It: Hepatitis

Hepatitis virus infections are the most common cause of liver disease worldwide. Sudan is classified among the countries

with high hepatitis B virus seroprevalence. Exposure to the virus varied from 47%-78%, with a hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence ranging from 6.8% in central Sudan to 26% in southern Sudan. Studies pointed to infection in early childhood in southern Sudan while there was a trend of increasing infection rate with increasing age in northern Sudan.
Hepatitis B virus was the commonest cause of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma and was the second commonest cause of acute liver failure in the Sudan. Studies of hepatitis C virus showed a low seroprevalence of 2.2%-4.8% and there was no association with schistosomiasis or with parenteral antischistosomal therapy. Hepatitis E virus was the commonest cause of acute hepatitis among pediatric, adult, and displaced populations. Recent introduction of screening of blood and blood products for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections and the introduction of hepatitis B virus vaccine as part of the extended program of immunization is expected to reduce the infection rate of these viruses in the Sudan.
World Hepatitis Day 2017 is being commemorated under the theme "Eliminate Hepatitis" to mobilize intensified action towards the health targets in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed WHO’s first global health sectors strategy on viral hepatitis to help countries scale up their responses.
The new WHO data show that more than 86% of countries reviewed have set national hepatitis elimination targets and more than 70% have begun to develop national hepatitis plans to enable access to effective prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services. Furthermore, nearly half of the countries surveyed are aiming for elimination through providing universal access to hepatitis treatment. But WHO is concerned that progress needs to speed up.
Viral hepatitis affected 325 million people worldwide in 2015, with 257 million people living with hepatitis B and 71 million people living with hepatitis C - the two main killers of the five types of hepatitis. Viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths in 2015 – a figure close to the number of TB deaths and exceeding deaths linked to HIV. We can protect ourselves against hepatitis B by being vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine has an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness. The vaccine is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Protection lasts for 20 years at least, no booster is recommended by WHO as of today.
 Strong commitment to eliminate hepatitis  within the  communities by providing them health services will protect and prevent from hepatitis. So, everybody should aware about the disease