African study group on ulcer-causing bug seeks more support

PRESIDENT, African Helicobacter and Microbiota Study Group (AHMSG), Professor Stella Smith, says appropriate diagnosis and management of Helicobacter pylori need to be forged and called for increased support in achieving this in Africa.

Professor Smith, who gave the commendations at the official closing of the intensive 3-day workshop of the Group at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos Nigeria, stated that for appropriate treatment and management of H. pylori issues, instruments such as Urea breath test and H. pylori stool antigen test are both essential for diagnosis and management of H. pylori infections.

The don, who noted that H. pylori is a neglected pathogen in Africa, said that the group is to formulate guidelines for the accurate diagnosis and management of H. pylori and its associated complications in Africa.

According to her, ‘’The Urea Breath Test instrument helps to diagnose H. pylori. It has the highest sensitivity of the non-invasive method of testing especially in our environment after testing with the urea breath test instrument.

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“If it is positive for H. pylori, the gastroenterologist prescribes drugs and instructs the patients to come back after four weeks for another check for the eradication of the H.pylori. This is not usually done in most countries in Africa and that is one of the areas our group wants to look into by setting guidelines for Africa.”

She also said more attention has been given over time to malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB, maternal and child health and in recent times Ebola and COVID-19, although it does not imply that H. pylori is not ravaging and causing a lot of health challenges on the continent.

According to her, “It has been reported that 50% of the world’s population are infected with H. pylori, with people of different races and regions around the world having varying levels of severity and pathological outcomes.”

Professor Smith, on behalf of AHMSG board members, commended Richen Medical Science Group, an equipment manufacturer for Helicobacter pylori treatment and management, for their support in the actualisation of the AHMSG’s corporate mission, goal and philosophy, as well as the group’s public presentation to stakeholders in the health sector recently in Lagos.