Hepatitis virus
By Solomon Babawale
Health is wealth, and to ensure a healthy world and individual healthy lifestyle, the World Health Organization (WHO) set July 28 as a day to create awareness for the silent killer virus Hepatitis and encourage prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Despite the effort of the WHO and other health parastatals to get people informed about the dangers of Hepatitis, it seems only a drop is getting to the populace, especially in Africa, out of the ocean of information and awareness dispersed.
Eko Hot Blog visited Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos State, and spoke to Consultant Physician and Cardiologist Dr Jaho Abiodun Austine to give an exposition on what Hepatitis is all about.
He started off by explaining what Hepatitis is and the causes of the disease.
Dr. Jaho: Hepatitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the liver, and this inflammation of the liver can be a result of so many causes. There are what we call heterotrophic viruses. We have other causes of Hepatitis, such as chronic alcohol usage and overuse of drugs that are used for treating tuberculosis and other ailments. Sometimes it could be some chemicals and herbal concoctions we take that could be toxic to the liver.
EHB: This commemoration is happening under the slogan of one life, one liver. What is the significance of the elimination of hepatitis?
Dr. Jaho: The theme for this year’s commemoration of hepatitis is, ‘We are not waiting’. It’s trying to talk about accelerating efforts in eliminating hepatitis and trying to see how we improve testing and those who can benefit from treatment, and we offer them such treatment as soon as possible. The slogan ‘one life, one liver’ underlines the liver as an important organ in the body.
It helps in so many functions, such as sieving what we eat and the production of some substances, such as glucose. It helps detoxify so many things the body has produced and remove them from the body. It also produces substances that are needed to cleanse the body system. The liver is a very important organ in the body; we must guide it jealously, as the theme has shown.
EHB: Let’s talk about the main strains of hepatitis. There are five major strains of hepatitis which are A-E. Can you tell us how they defer and how they affect the body system?
Dr. Jaho: Just like you have rightly said, we have A-E. The difference is how they are transmitted. Hepatitis A is transmitted through what we take into our mouth, like the food we eat or the water we drink. Once a person has it, it runs an acute course over a period of days or a few weeks, and then it abates. The person will have the symptoms of not feeling well, joint pains and yellowness of the eyes.
With treatment, it can be managed. While hepatitis B is quite common, it is gotten through unscreened blood transfusion that has the virus, use of unsafe unsterilized objects to do scarification, tattoo markings, unprotected sexual intercourse, mother to child transmission during the breastfeeding period. It runs its course too.
One thing to note is the hepatitis virus can last up to 7 days on any surface. Having it from childhood can make it lead to the chance of becoming cirrhosis, becoming hepatocellular carcinoma, which can only be managed as nothing can be done due to the damage done to the liver.
Those that have the virus in adulthood can be so lucky as their immune system can clear the virus off. The mode of transmission of hepatitis C is similar to that of hepatitis B, just that it tends to go through the chronic stage with similar symptoms and damages, though not as common as the B.
Authorities said there is about 9.5 per cent of people who has it in Nigeria, while worldwide, it is running into millions. Hepatitis D cannot occur on its own; it works side-by-side with hepatitis B. Without hepatitis B, D cannot survive. B is DNA, while the other hepatitis types are RNA. Hepatitis E is not as common as the others. It is mainly transmitted through drinking water contaminated with faecal matter.
Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos State
EHB: From all you have said, hepatitis B seems dominant in this part of the world. Let’s talk about vaccination; what is the vaccination gap in infants or adults?
Dr. Jaho: As a child is born, the recommendation is that within 24 hours of birth, the child must be vaccinated with hepatitis B antigens. 8 weeks later, the child is meant to receive a booster dose and about six months later, he takes another booster dose. This vaccination is called the active vaccination, and the passive one can be offered or given to the child if any of the parents is positive.
In adults, it is important to know your viral load. If you are positive, there are vaccinations and drugs. And while procreating with a positive partner, the negative partner can be given haemoglobin to reduce the chance of contracting the virus.
EHB: The United Nations has been striving to meet up the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030. With hepatitis in the frame, what are the gaps needed to eliminate the virus in order to meet up with the SDGs?
Dr Jaho: It is a laudable effort projected by the United Nations. Looking at the theme, we want to accelerate the elimination of the virus and see how we can improve testing. Those who need treatment will get treated. If testing is accelerated, those who are at risk, like those in the health care system, will be able to know their status and be able to get vaccinated.
Creating awareness by letting people know hepatitis is real and because the liver is an important organ to the body, there’s a need to care for it well and appreciate the concept of the universal prevention of the disease, and the concept is to see everyone’s fluids and blood as infectious until it’s proven otherwise. Practising protective sex and avoiding unsterilized objects for scarification and tattoo markings will help prevent the contraction of this deadly disease.
Apart from this, there’s a need to educate pupils from primary to tertiary institutions on the need to be careful to avoid contracting the virus and to meet up with the SDG set by the United Nations.
EHB: Drawing out advocacy and awareness, in your opinion, how well are people aware of hepatitis?
Dr. Jaho: We in the health sector know about hepatitis and try to take precautions as much as possible. But many others aren’t aware like they ought to be, so there’s a need to create more awareness through the media and other ways.
EHB: Why is hepatitis a deadly killer?
Dr. Jaho: Saying it is deadly isn’t a mistake. When a person is infected with the hepatitis virus that is in its chronic stage, it compromises the liver of that individual. At that point in time, they need supportive care. Those who die from chronic liver disease are quite a large figure.
If a condition can cause the liver to become fibrotic, it’s a big problem that later turns into cancer in some persons. Looking also at the cost implication, the cost of drugs to manage the situation is very high, not to talk of a drug to cure, of which I don’t think there is a total cure for it now. Buying those drugs will impact negatively on all spheres of the person’s life financially.
EHB: What is your message to the general public as we commemorate World Hepatitis Day?
Dr Jaho: Just as the theme says, we are not waiting. We want to eliminate hepatitis as much as possible. Those of us that do not know our status let’s walk into any clinic, seek for screening of Hepatitis, and if there is any need for treatment, then we seek for that treatment.
Dr Jaho Abiodun Austine is a consultant physiologist and cardiologist who works at the Gbagada General Hospital.
Watch the interview below:
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