The recent disclosure that no less than 25 million Nigerians may be suffering from different strains of the hepatitis disease is scary. According to the professor of Microbial Pathology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, Michael Odimayo, the figure represents about 12.5 per cent of the entire Nigerian population. Of the three strains of the disease, Hepatitis A, B and C, the B is the deadliest and resulting in most of the afflictions leading to death. Unfortunately, public knowledge about the disease is still very low. Nigerians need to know all they can about this disease.
Nigerians should know what causes it, its symptoms and early warning signs to look out for, those most at risk of contracting the disease and all preventive measures. Being abreast of all this will go a long way in managing the disease.
From available information, the disease could present at first like common malaria or yellow fever or even pneumonia, but that could be very misleading. When people come down with these symptoms, they are required to go for further examinations and clinical tests. And if the disease is confirmed after these examinations, the right treatment should be given to those affected.
However, most of the cases that result in fatalities occur either because the disease was not discovered on time either through wrong diagnosis or through ignorance or negligence of the patient.
Medical experts believe that the intolerably high number of sufferers of the hepatitis disease is as a result of the latter cause. But that is where the problem lies. That is why it is important that all suspected cases of hepatitis must be reported to the nearest health facility. It is the best way to prevent fatality from the ailment. Another debilitating factor is that the cost of treatment even when diagnosed is prohibitive that many Nigerians cannot afford.
Government, through its agencies responsible for public enlightenment, owes the general public a duty to inform them about the disease. Such information must be in the language that the people can easily understand. Mass media agencies like radio and television should take the lead in this regard. In this information and technology age, such information on the disease can also be passed through the social media.
There is need to ensure that such health information gets to all parts of the country, especially those in the rural areas, as the disease is no respecter of class, region, age or status of persons. When the disease is finally diagnosed, access to proper care is crucial. Tests to determine the extent of the disease, and even drugs for its management and treatment, cost so much. How many of the 25 million potential sufferers of the disease in the country can afford these costs? The probability is maybe less than 5 per cent. Hence, government at all levels, including public-spirited persons and organisations should assist to ameliorate the cost of treatment.
First, more microbial pathologists and infectious diseases experts have to be trained and certified in the country. It is a fact that there are not enough experts in this area and indeed all other specialised branches of healthcare. Even more disturbing is the possibility that a majority of these potential 25 million sufferers of the hepatitis disease are in the active population of the country. If this is the case, we can begin to count the actual cost of the disease.
The federal, state and local governments should put the right premium on health, especially on diseases like hepatitis that can be an evil reaper. When government neglects its responsibility to its citizens, especially in the area of healthcare, the cost can be enormous in terms of losses to the economy and human lives. According to medical experts, Hepatitis, especially hepatitis B and hepatitis C, was responsible for 1.34 million deaths in 2005 globally.
Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says that deaths from hepatitis have increased 22 per cent since 2000. Overall, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are responsible for 96 per cent of deaths from viral hepatitis of any kind worldwide and cause an estimated 78 per cent of all liver cancer and 57 per cent of all liver cirrhosis.
However, the good news is that there is vaccination for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. about 240 million people are affected with the Hepatitis B virus worldwide, with 786,000 people dying from complications of the disease yearly.