Hepatitis B virus infection remains a major public health threat that is ravaging Nigeria which currently ranks high among the list of countries with high burden of viral hepatitis B in the world, making her a major contributor to the number of infected people.
Available data showed between 20 and 30 million Nigerians are living with the deadly virus with vast majority not knowing their status.
Hepatitis B is a diseased caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV), that affects the liver. It can cause both acute and chronic infections potentially resulting in liver cancer, liver failure and early death if left untreated.
The virus is transmitted in blood, blood products, or other body fluids, often through sharing needles, blood transfusions, or sexual contact. The incubation period lasts for 1-6 months.
The prevalence of hepatitis is almost similar to that of HIV. There are five different types of hepatitis, however, the major one is hepatitis B and C. though hepatitis C is not prevalent in Nigeria, all hepatitis have tendency of affecting the liver causing cirrhosis and hepacellular carcinoma. The national prevalence of hepatitis B is between 10 and 15 percent.
According to a review on Hepatitis B Infection in Nigeria, the authors concluded that the high prevalence of 13.3% questions the effectiveness of the Nigerian HBV Vaccination Program.
They noted that the increasing frequency of hepatitis B in Nigeria calls for expedient and urgent quick fix approach mechanism to stem the menace.
Medical experts have identified early detention as key in solving Hepatitis B scourge. They have also enjoined Nigerians to go for tests to determine their Hepatitis B status and seek for medical advice when confirmed positive to the virus.
Proffering last solution, stakeholders in the health sector have called on the Federal Government to declare Hepatitis B a health emergency as it did with HIV/AIDS and Ebola.
They made case for the amplification of health promotion and awareness campaign to educate the general public on the danger, mode of transmission and the risk factors associated with HBV infection especially among youth population.
Other recommendations include encouraging vaccination for that tested negative – the vaccination should also be made to be readily available and affordable.