The World Health Organisation (WHO) has highlighted the urgent need for countries to enhance action aimed at preventing viral hepatitis infection.
A statement issued by Christian Lindmeier, WHO Communications urged nations “to ensure that people who have been infected are diagnosed and offered treatment”.
It said the Organization is currently focusing on hepatitis B and C, which together causes approximately 80% of all liver cancer deaths.
It also kills close to 1.4 million people every year.
[contextly_sidebar id=”Nljj9HxZM26g3YbIWWy4NJUM2vx2EdU6″]The statement said WHO is alerting people on the risks of contracting hepatitis from unsafe blood, unsafe injections, and sharing drug-injection equipment.
It said some 11 million people, who inject drugs have hepatitis B or C infection. Also, children born to mothers with hepatitis B or C and sex partners of people with hepatitis were also at risk of becoming infected.
“The Organization emphasizes the need for all health services to reduce risks by using only sterile equipment for injections and other medical procedures, to test all donated blood and blood components for hepatitis B and C (as well as HIV and syphilis) and to promote the use of the hepatitis B vaccine,” it said.
“Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), also protect against transmission,” the statement added.
Approximately 2 million people in a year contract hepatitis from unsafe injections but these infections could be averted through the use of sterile syringes that were specifically designed to prevent reuse.
According to the WHO, eliminating unnecessary injections is an effective strategy to protect people against the hepatitis transmission; adding that, there were 16 billion injections administered every year.
Around 5% of these injections were for immunization, a further five per cent for procedures like blood transfusions and injectable contraceptives, and the remaining 90 per cent to administer medicines.
The statement said for many diseases, injections are not the first recommended course of treatment and oral medications could be used.
The WHO recommended vaccinating all children against hepatitis B infection, from which approximately 780 000 people die each year.
The statement said a safe and effective vaccine could protect from hepatitis B infection for life.
“Ideally, the vaccine should be given as soon as possible after birth, preferably within 24 hours. The birth dose should be followed by two or three doses to complete the vaccine series,” it said.
The WHO also recommended vaccinating adults who are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis B.
It explained that these include people who frequently require blood or blood products (for example dialysis patients), health-care workers, people who inject drugs, household and sexual contacts of people with chronic hepatitis B, and people with multiple sexual partners.
Since 1982, over one billion doses of hepatitis B vaccine had been used worldwide and millions of future deaths from liver cancer and cirrhosis have been prevented.
It said in a number of countries where around one in 10 children used to become chronically infected with the hepatitis B virus, vaccination had reduced the rate of chronic infection to less than one in 100 among immunized children.
The statement said to date, there is no available vaccine against hepatitis C but medicines were now available that could cure most people with hepatitis C and control hepatitis B infection, adding that people who receive these medicines were much less likely to die from liver cancer and cirrhosis and much less likely to transmit the virus to others.
The WHO, therefore, urged people who think they might have been exposed to hepatitis to get tested so they can find out whether they need treatment to improve their own health and reduce the risk of transmission.
Earlier this year, WHO issued new guidelines for treatment of hepatitis B infection, stating that, these recommend using simple non-invasive tests to assess the stage of liver disease to help identify who needs treatment.
“WHO also calls for prioritizing treatment for those with cirrhosis – the most advanced stage of liver disease and for the use of two safe and highly effective medicines, tenofovir or entecavir.”
The WHO recommended providing testing for people considered at high risk of infection and ensuring treatment for those who had the virus with several effective medicines, including new regimens that use only oral medicines.
The organization will also update recommendations on drug treatments periodically as new antiviral medicines become available, adding that, this year, WHO’s flagship event takes place in Egypt, a country with one of the world’s highest hepatitis burdens.
The statement said it is estimated that 10% of the population between 15 and 59 years are chronically infected with hepatitis C; adding that, between 2007 and 2014, more than 350 000 people with hepatitis C had been treated.
Since the introduction of newer, more effective medicines in 2014, the number of people being treated continues to increase.
“Today, 32 dedicated treatment centres are providing treatment at the Government’s expense. Egypt is also highlighting hepatitis prevention,” it said.
The WHO is helping the country to develop national blood safety standards and had selected Egypt as one of three pilot countries for its new Global Injection Safety Initiative.
The WHO is going to provide support over the next three years to reduce unnecessary injections and help transition to the exclusive use of syringes that could only be used once.
In September this year, countries would have the opportunity to share best practice at the first-ever World Hepatitis Summit to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
The summit, which is co-sponsored by WHO, the Scottish Government and the World Hepatitis Alliance, aims to raise the global profile of viral hepatitis, to create a platform for exchange of country experiences and to focus on working with countries to develop national action plans.
Source: GNA