Yinka Shokunbi LAGOS
July 28 is another World Hepatitis Day (WHD). It is a day set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to call attention to the deadly nature of the disease, hepatitis which primarily is one that makes the liver its focal area of attack.
Hepatitis is medically known as a condition characterised by the inflammation of the liver as well as the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ.
Hepatitis according to medical experts could mostly be caused by viral infections or drug induced; but generally, Hepatitis type is determined by laboratory tests.
For the 2015 WHD, the WHO is calling for urgent attention to curb the disease, especially Hepatitis B and C which he health body says both account for approximately 80% of all liver cancer deaths and kill close to 1.4 million people every year.
Many individuals got to know about their hepatitis status late because it’s possible to have hepatitis and not realize it at first. It is said that sometimes there aren’t any symptoms to indicate the infection or that the right diagnosis are not made on time because the disease is known to share some of the signs of regular flu.
Some Risks Associated with Hepatitis Are: Transfusion of unsafe blood, unsafe injections, and sharing drug-injection equipment. Some 11 million people who inject drugs says WHO also have hepatitis B or C infection. Children born to mothers with hepatitis B or C and sex partners of people with hepatitis are also at risk of becoming infected, according to the health body.
The Organization emphasizes the need for all health services to reduce risks by using only sterile equipment for injections and other medical procedures, to test all donated blood and blood components for hepatitis B and C (as well as HIV and syphilis) and to promote the use of the hepatitis B vaccine. Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), also protect against transmission.
Demand safe injections
According to the WHO, approximately, two million people a year contract hepatitis from unsafe injections. These infections can be averted through the use of sterile syringes that are specifically designed to prevent reuse.
Eliminating unnecessary injections is also an effective strategy to protect against hepatitis transmission. There are 16 billion injections administered every year. Around 5% of these injections are for immunization, a further 5% for procedures like blood transfusions and injectable contraceptives, and the remaining 90% to administer medicines. For many diseases, injections are not the first recommended course of treatment and oral medications could be used.
Vaccination:
Vaccinating all children soon after birth, preferably within 24 hours of delivery against hepatitis B infection, from which approximately 780 000 people die each year is regarded as a way to prevent infection in children for life. The birth dose should be followed by 2 or 3 doses to complete the vaccine series.
WHO also recommends vaccinating adults who are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis B. These include people who frequently require blood or blood products (for example dialysis patients), health-care workers, people who inject drugs, household and sexual contacts of people with chronic hepatitis B, and people with multiple sexual partners.
Test and Treatment:
Medicines are now available that can cure most people with hepatitis C and control hepatitis B infection. People who receive these medicines are much less likely to die from liver cancer and cirrhosis and much less likely to transmit the virus to others. WHO therefore urges people who think they might have been exposed to hepatitis to get tested so they can find out whether they need treatment to improve their own health and reduce the risk of transmission.
The most common symptoms of hepatitis are things like: Loss of appetite, Fatigue, Mild fever, Muscle or joint aches, Nausea and vomiting and Pain in the belly.
Some people have other issues, such as: Dark urine, Light-coloured stools, Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), Itchy feeling, Mental changes, such as stupor (being in a daze) or coma and Bleeding inside the body.
Lack of prompt treatment can lead to cirrhosis, a serious scarring of the liver.
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