Expert call for screening, vaccination of students against hepatitis

A medical expert, Professor Samuel Ola, has said Nigeria needs to take action to screen people for hepatitis, particularly students entering into the nation’s colleges of higher learning, to stem the spread of the viral infection.

Ola, a hepatitis expert at the University College Hospital (UCH), said this should be followed up with vaccination of those without the virus, to ensure they do not contract the viral infection that affects the liver and globally kills a person every 40 seconds.

He declared that massive screening and vaccination against hepatitis of young ones and all people at risk of the infection will curb its spread and reduce the infection rate in the country.

The expert described hepatitis as a silent epidemic, because it does not show symptoms on newly infected or chronically infected, leading to its spread.

He said most patients with hepatitis B and C remain without symptoms until the liver is significantly damaged and they start to experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, stomach pain, dark-coloured urine, nausea, yellowish eyes or skin and vomiting.

According to him, although all five strains of hepatitis are of great concern, because of the burden of illnesses and deaths they cause and the potential for outbreaks, Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) are the most common cause of long-term liver damage and cancer, accounting for about 90 percent of deaths.

“Massive screening of young people, particularly in schools, is important. They should ensure that they are vaccinated so that they will not have the sickness or infect other people.

“Drug companies should make some contributions by ensuring students at all levels are screened and vaccinated. It will stop the scourge and halt the rate of infection in the community.

“No doubt, vaccination is expensive, but when vaccinated against hepatitis, it is prevention of early deaths from complications of the infection such as chronic hepatitis, which can lead to liver cirrhosis or cancer of the liver. In fact, the infection can infect virtually all the organs of the body, including the pancreas and the heart.

“Involving the drug companies will ensure that the vaccines are made available at a cheaper rate and that will curtail the infection. Worldwide, hepatitis B is a preventable disease; once vaccinated, one is protected,” he said.

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