Hepatitis B claims tons of of lives
The Gambia is dealing with a well being disaster that has remained underneath the radar, hepatitis B. Affecting roughly 10% of the inhabitants, about 270,000 individuals, this illness is silently claiming lives and inflicting irreversible liver injury. Despite its alarming prevalence, hepatitis B stays one of the vital underreported well being points within the nation.
The Silent Epidemic
The nation’s battle with hepatitis B dates again to 2010, when the federal government, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Imperial College London, initiated the Prevention of Liver Viruses and Cancer in Africa programme. The initiative aimed to extend consciousness, improve screening, and supply therapy, specializing in high-risk populations in The Gambia, Senegal, and Nigeria.
Between 2010 and 2015, greater than 20,000 Gambians, largely adults over 30 – have been screened for hepatitis B. The findings have been alarming: many people, although asymptomatic, had already suffered extreme liver injury. Over 150,000 individuals have been enrolled in therapy programmes, and 1,500 have been identified with hepatitis B and began on life-saving remedies. Despite these efforts, the illness continued to unfold, with deaths from power hepatitis B-related problems, akin to cirrhosis and liver most cancers, on the rise.
The Growing Crisis
By the time the nationwide hepatitis B management marketing campaign was rolled out, hepatitis B-related deaths had surged. The Ministry of Health reviews that the demise toll from hepatitis B-related circumstances now exceeds 1,000 yearly. However, a extra regarding latest growth has come to mild: reviews from hospitals point out that previously few months alone, the demise toll has escalated considerably, with over 200 new hepatitis B-related fatalities within the nation. For most Gambians, the illness stays a distant menace, typically going unnoticed till it’s too late.
A Patient’s Story
Maraima Sowe, a 46-year-old mom of 5, was identified with liver cirrhosis in 2024. Like many, she was initially misled by misinformation.
“The sickness started turning my body yellowish, with my eyes and urine also yellow. I was feeling extreme heat and pain inside my body. But I was told this was yellow fever and that I shouldn’t go to the hospital because if I did, they would vaccinate me, and I would die,” she recounts.
Misguided by family, she resorted to conventional medication, which solely worsened her situation. Eventually, Maraima sought therapy on the MRC in Fajara, the place she was identified with liver cirrhosis. Now underneath medical care, she travels each two months from her hometown of Basse, roughly 370 kilometres (230 miles) away, to Fajara for therapy – a journey that prices her over 4,000 dalasis per journey.
The Risk to Males
At the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul, a senior nurse Saydiba Tamba sheds mild on the gendered affect of hepatitis B.
“The most vulnerable group is males,” he explains. “Hepatitis B ranks third among liver cancers for the general population but is the leading cause of liver cancer in males.”
The statistics are grim. “Every month, we receive about three patients with liver cancer. Once cancer is confirmed, they typically have only one to two months to live,” Tamba says. By the time sufferers attain the hospital’s National GI Liver Disease Clinic, many are already within the terminal phases of liver illness.
A Silent Epidemic
The clinic is overwhelmed with superior circumstances, underscoring the pressing want for early detection and intervention.
“By the time they come to us, the damage is often too extensive for effective treatment,” Tamba notes. The lack of early detection and the stigma surrounding the illness compound the disaster.
Prevention and Awareness
In response, the Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide hepatitis B management marketing campaign to extend consciousness, present training, and make testing extra accessible. However, stigma and insufficient screening stay vital obstacles. Health officers estimate that the true variety of untreated hepatitis B circumstances is far larger than reported, as many keep away from looking for assist resulting from worry of judgment.
“Awareness and regular check-ups are crucial,” Tamba emphasises. “This could be prevented by sensitising people to get tested, know their status, and seek treatment.”
A Call to Action
The Gambia’s battle towards hepatitis B requires a coordinated effort. Health specialists stress the necessity for early detection, higher healthcare entry, and sustained public consciousness campaigns. Without these measures, the illness will proceed to devastate households and communities.
By Adama Makasuba
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