Abuja, 28 July, 2022 - After being diagnosed with hepatitis B in February 2021, Mrs Titilope Dada, 30, wept heavily for weeks, thinking it was a death sentence. 

She was diagnosed with hepatitis B at a health facility during pre-employment medical screening. 
Being educated, she knew about the disease but never thought she could be infected. 

A traumatic period 

“I was shocked and scared when told my result was positive and went online to read about the disease before going back to the hospital for a confirmatory test.

“Most of what I read online was scary, but the doctors were able to calm me down, ordered for more tests to be able to decide if I will commence treatment immediately. I am now on treatment and can tell you that it is not as bad as I imagined it or as I read on the internet,” she said. 

Mrs Dada said it was not easy coming to terms with the diagnosis and starting treatment because she thought it would affect her life as she was diagnosed some months (four to five) from getting married.  

“I was perplexed, as I have been living a healthy lifestyle and wondered how I contracted it. I started treatment as advised by the doctors after informing my family though it crossed my mind to cancel my wedding. My parents, siblings, and husband have been supportive”, she explained. 

Narrating how she has been coping with the treatment, Mrs Dada, now pregnant with her first baby, lamented that access to hepatitis drugs is tedious as she sometimes orders them from Lagos State and spends over 10,000 Naira per month out-of-pocket on drugs and over 25,000 when she has to conduct tests and hospital fees. 

Life during treatment 

After 18 months of knowing her status, Mrs Dada said the trying times for her were when she  had the liver biopsy test to check if she had not developed liver cancer and also having to come to terms with using drugs every day.

“My advice is that people should get tested to know their status. People who test negative should get vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible. However, if it turns out positive, they should start the treatment early as hepatitis B is treatable. 

“I am living a happy life and expecting my first baby, my family is very supportive, and I am moving on in my career. I now know that having hepatitis is not the end of the world, but I wish the government get more involved with providing support for testing and treatment of hepatitis, and they should also create more awareness for it like HIV/AIDS”, she said.

Hepatitis control effort

According to the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), Nigeria has a prevalence rate of 8.1% and 1.0% for hepatitis B and C. 

However, most people infected with the disease are unaware of their status as there is 
low awareness about the infection, leading to under-reported, under-diagnosed and under-treated cases. 

Dr Adegboyega Akere, a Consultant Gastroenterologist at University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, said the low awareness level of hepatitis among the populace is one leading cause of liver cancer or liver cirrhosis in the country. 

Dr Akere said patients often present to the hospital at advanced stages of liver cancer or with liver cirrhosis which could have been prevented if detected earlier. 

“Nigeria needs to embark on intensive awareness to meet the 2030 target of eliminating the disease, he said. 

To curb the menace of hepatitis disease in the country, the minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the Federal Ministry of Health, with support from its partners, is taking concrete steps to ensure that hepatitis care is brought closer to every Nigerian.

Dr Ehanire said at a press briefing to mark the 2022 World Hepatitis Day (WHD) that Nigeria has aligned with the new World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy for Viral Hepatitis strategy.

“Nigeria has developed its own National Strategic Framework for Viral Hepatitis aimed at achieving the global target of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030, he said.

Furthermore, WHO Country Representative (WR) Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo said WHO has been providing strategic leadership, technical assistance and implementation support to the government to respond to viral hepatitis.

Dr Mulombo further added that creating awareness and providing adequate domestic resources is a way to tackle the diseases in Nigeria. 

WHO works on the five viral hepatitis strategic pillars - Supporting hepatitis B Birth dose and pentavalent vaccination for children (NPHCDA), prevention of mother-to-child transmission (Family and reproductive health), Blood and injection safety at the National Blood services commission), Harm reduction among People who inject drugs ( Hospital services) and diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B and C (hospital). 

Technical Contact:
Dr Oluwafunke Ilesanmi; Email: ilesanmio [at] who.com (ilesanmio[at]who[dot]com)