Africa-Press – Lesotho. The joint external health review meeting that was held on Friday on the findings of the survey showed that Hepatitis B exists in the country although there is no treatment available for the victims.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV is one of five types of viral hepatitis and the others are hepatitis A, C, D, and E, but each is a different type of virus, and types B and C are most likely to become chronic.
Delivering his presentation on what they have gathered within country’s health facilities regarding hepatitis B, Dr Fabian Ndenzako, who was team leader of the project, said they were satisfied with the response they got during the survey, which is the first one in the country and the fourth one on the African continent.
The survey was aimed to inform the Ministry of Health and its partners on the level of excellence in diseases control and how well they performed in TB, HIV, Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMCTC) and viral hepatitis.
“Acute hepatitis B causes symptoms to appear quickly in adults. Infants infected at birth rarely develop only acute hepatitis B. Nearly all hepatitis B infections in infants go on to become chronic,” Ndenzako said.
He however said hepatitis is a global threat, and that in the country, they have seen that there is no treatment although there is high prevalence. He said however there are good practices, with screening being most paramount.
Ndenzako said World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines its first-ever guidance for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, a viral infection which is spread through blood and body fluids, attacking the liver and resulting in an estimated 650 000 deaths each year – most of them in low- and middle-income countries.
He added that WHO also points that worldwide, 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B virus with the highest rates of infection in Africa and Asia and that people with chronic hepatitis B infection are at increased risk of dying from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
He further said these are the first WHO guidelines for the prevention, care and treatment of persons living with chronic hepatitis B infection, and complement similar recently published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of infection due to the hepatitis C virus.
He said Lesotho needs policies that will ensure availability of treatment in the country, and that the health provisional that are already there just needs to be trained on this matter and also develop our own guidelines on preventions.
Director General Health Services Dr ‘Nyane Letsie commenting on the findings said this is a national report which has to be used and respected to make changes that will benefit the citizens of the this country and give them better health services that will save them.
She again delivered her gratitude to all who partake in this report which he said it will transform health services to the better and give the patients the best.
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