‘600,000 Die Anually From Hepatitis’

Experts say an estimated 600,000 people die annually worldwide due toacute infections of Hepatitis.

Head of Community Health, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Dr Charles Tobin-West, made this declaration in a chat with newsmen during this year’s World Hepatitis Day (WHD) celebrated, July 28 this year at the hospital.

Dr Tobin-West stated that about two billion people are infected presently while the annual global fatalities stand at 600,000. He also said 25 per cent of adults who were chronically infected during childhood, die later from liver cancer or cirrohosis, a condition characterised by scarring of the liver.

He noted that the disease which affects the liver has various forms referred to as Hepatitis ‘A’ ‘B’ ‘C’ or ‘E’ and pointed out that of these four types “A” and “B” were the commonest  while “B” “C” were the deadliest of the four.

He explained that Hepatitis disease is associated with poor sanitary habits and is contracted either through the exchange of body fluids or by faecal-oral, which has to do with improper washing of the hand after stooling.

Dr Tobin-West said that this year’s WHD, the first supported by World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), was designed to raise public awareness about the three most serious forms of the disease and the health implications.

He stated that Hepatitis “B” infection is much like HIV and kills more people together in a year, pointing out that it is an important occupational hazard for health workers.

Treatment of Hepatitis, he said is palliative since there is no medicine specially made to treat the virus, saying however, that there is an effective three-dose vaccine against the virus available at the hospital at no cost to the patient.

He further said a vaccine for Hepatitis “A” has been formulated explaining that it has not yet been included in the national immunisation programme.

Other ways to combat the disease, he said, was to imbibe good sanitary habits, such as hand washing practices and washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating as well as avoiding exchange of body fluids.

Tonye Nria-Dappa