The fear of man brings a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe(Proverbs 29:25)
…Cursed be the MAN that trusts in MAN….(Jeremiah 17:5)
Fake Capitalism : The Curse of trusting man in
corrupt neo-liberal systems : Ugandans Immunized with fake hepatitis B vaccines
http://watchmanafrica.blogspot.ug/2018/03/the-curse-of-trusting-man-in-corrupt.html
20 million Nigerians are infected with hepatitis B — Experts
http://punchng.com/20-million-nigerians-infected-hepatitis-b-experts/
Bukola Adebayo
Doctors have called on the Federal Government to declare hepatitis B a health emergency as it did with HIV/AIDS.
The appeal, they said, had become imperative to save Nigerians from health complications associated with the disease.
Bukola Adebayo
Doctors have called on the Federal Government to declare hepatitis B a health emergency as it did with HIV/AIDS.
The appeal, they said, had become imperative to save Nigerians from health complications associated with the disease.
According to a Consultant
Gastroenterologist with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Idi-Araba, Lagos, Dr. Olufunmilayo Lesi, Nigeria has one of the highest
prevalence of hepatitis B infections in the world.
She noted that with a national prevalence of 10 per cent, no fewer than 20 million Nigerians were living with the disease.
Lesi said, “Hepatitis B is very common
in Nigeria. The national prevalence is between 10 and 15 per cent. That
means that about 20 million Nigerians are living with Hepatitis B.
“This is also very high when you compare
it to other countries and the worst part is less than five per cent
know that they have the disease.”
The specialist also noted that the low
level of testing among Nigerians was a cause of concern, as the disease
was three times more infectious than HIV/AIDS.
According to Lesi, hepatitis B is one of
the most infectious viruses in the world even as it leads to liver
failure, cancer and untimely death in infected persons.
She added, “I run the hepatitis clinic
in LUTH and I see many young men and women with liver cancer, which is
the product of untreated hepatitis B infection.
“I see many patients with big stomachs,
who have liver disease because they had hepatitis B. Most of them got it
when they were young and because they did not go for test; they have
lived with the infection for over 20 years. This is why it is called a
silent killer. By the time you see the symptoms like swollen feet or
stomach, the liver is already damaged.’’
She identified poor socio-cultural and unhygienic practices as factors that had increased its rate of infection in the country.
She added, “I want to address the myth
that hepatitis B is mostly transmitted through sex. More Nigerians are
contracting it because of poor hygiene. Many Nigerians still go to
hairdressing and barbing salons without their manicure, pedicure or
barbing kits. They share objects with people they do not even know. Some
people still give tribal marks to children with unsterilised needles.
This is how infections spread and it is dangerous.” She stated.
Meanwhile, stakeholders, who spoke at
the 9th Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Society
for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria, have called for massive
screening and vaccination of Nigerians against hepatitis B to ensure the
eradication of the disease.
According to a former Head of State,
Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), statistics show that many Nigerians are not
aware of the deadly nature of the disease.
He, therefore, advised the government to
adopt previous strategies used in the eradication of guinea worm and
the Ebola Virus Disease in tackling the spread of the disease.
Gowon said, “Hepatitis in Nigeria is a
health emergency. Its national prevalence is three times more than that
of HIV/AIDS and diabetes. We should fight it as we fought guinea worm,
Ebola and as we are fighting polio infections.”
He also urged other political leaders to
embark on fact-finding missions to rural areas before implementing any
health programme.
According to him, visits to rural
communities will serve as eye-openers for policy makers, whom, he says
are usually disconnected from the people.
He noted, “While I was serving as the
ambassador for guinea worm eradication in Nigeria, I had the opportunity
to visit rural communities across the country. I saw the level of
poverty among Nigerians in these communities. I think all leaders should
make such unannounced visits, this will motivate them to do all they
can to bring succour to their people.”
Hepatitis B Is A Killer: 5 Important Facts You Should Know
https://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/hepatitis-b-is-a-killer-5-important-facts-you-should-know.111392/
Discussion in 'Health, Lifestyle & Lifeline' started by drwale, May 7, 2015. Views count: 22828Hepatitis B is one of the top killer diseases in the world today. There are over 750000 deaths annually that are attributed to Hepatitis B. Several risk factors are said to be responsible for the high prevalence of the disease. In order to protect yourself and family from Hepatitis B, you need to know the causes of the disease and how it can be prevented or treated.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver as a result of infectious agents (especially viruses), toxins, herbs, alcohol and so on. Specifically, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the cause of hepatitis B. Some of the other common viruses that cause hepatitis are Hepatitis A, C, D and E. It's worthy of note that this dreaded infection is mainly transmitted through body fluids such as blood, vaginal secretions and semen.
Hepatitis B infection is a global healthcare problem with particularly high prevalence in developing countries viz sub-Saharan Africa and South-east/Central Asia. Statistically, about 350-400 million individuals worldwide suffer from chronic hepatitis B virus infection which is a dominant cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The risk factors of Hepatitis B include unprotected sexual intercourse (especially at an early age), intravenous drug abuse, unsafe blood transfusion, homosexuality and perinatal transmission from an infected mother to her baby. Information is power, hence it is pertinent to shed some light on certain cogent facts everybody needs to know about Hepatitis B Virus infection:
Untreated Hepatitis B Virus infection may progress to cirrhosis and/or liver cancer
This is especially true for infants who contract this virus from their infected mothers. Studies have shown that 90% of such infants eventually progress to chronic (long-term) HBV infection. However, older children and adults have about 25-50% and 5% risk, respectively of developing chronic hepatitis B infection following the acute (initial) infection. Moreover, many of those with chronic HBV infection are asymptomatic and remain chronic carriers of the virus mostly looking apparently healthy but capable of transmitting it to others. In the less fortunate ones, however, chronic infection ultimately gives way to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) with much worse prognosis.
Most people with HBV show no symptoms at the initial stage
The majority of people with HBV are initially asymptomatic as the disease often takes up to 1-6 months to manifest symptoms. Such symptoms range from non-specific ones like general malaise, low-grade fever, nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, body aches to more suggestive symptoms like passage of dark-coloured urine, jaundice (yellowness of the eyes and sclera), right upper abdominal pain as well as body itching. Sadly, those who have deteriorated into cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy or liver cancer may come down with such complications as abdominal swelling (ascites), gastrointestinal variceal bleeding, weight loss, confusion, coma or sometimes death.
Hepatitis B Virus infection is largely preventable
The good news about HBV infection is that it is highly preventable, thanks to the advent of the Hepatitis B vaccine which arguably offers significant protection from the virus in about 95% of people who received the vaccine appropriately. In recognition of this fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends at least 3 doses of this vaccine. Accordingly, the Expanded Programme on Immunization in Nigeria facilitates the administration of the vaccine to all newborns at birth, 6 weeks and 14 weeks to make up three completed doses. This, in no small measure helps to maximize the benefits of immunization and forestall the future occurrence of this lethal condition in children who received the vaccine at birth.
Thorough screening of blood and blood products
In the developing countries, transfusion with unsafe blood remains a common means of transmission of Hepatitis B virus. Hence, there is the need for relentless efforts geared towards upgrading existing health facilities in order to facilitate thorough screening of blood and blood products for Human Immunodeficiency Virus and hepatitis. This will go a long way in stemming the tides of the blood-borne transmission of hepatitis B virus in third-world countries.
Hepatitis B Virus is more infectious than HIV/AIDS
Although Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is widely believed to be the most infectious virus, research has shown that hepatitis B virus is 10 times more infectious than Human Immunodeficiency Virus. In addition, hepatitis B virus is resistant to extremes of temperature and humidity to the extent that it retains its capacity to infect unimmunized individuals even after 7 days outside the host. The implication of this for health workers is that they need to take extra precautions to avoid infection with this highly infectious yet preventable virus.
Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
