[ad_1]
The Zimbabwean government, in partnership with WHO and other stakeholders, is working to develop a national strategic plan against viral hepatitis (2019-2022) to contain the growing epidemic in the country. declared a senior government official.
Dr. Gibson Mhlanga, Acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Child Protection, said at the stakeholder consultative meeting on the development of the national strategic plan to combat the disease. Viral hepatitis in Zimbabwe that a national strategy was needed to address this neglected public health challenge.
Dr. Mhlanga said the strategy is essential for the country to reach the sustainable development goal number 3, which aims to eradicate the epidemics of hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV and malaria in the country. By 2030. To develop the strategy, the government, in collaboration with WHO, commissioned a rapid badessment of viral hepatitis in 2017 to determine the current national status of prevention, treatment, and treatment services. , care and monitoring of viral hepatitis.
The World Health Organization estimates that 257 million and 71 million people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C, respectively. In addition, of the 36.7 million people living with HIV reported in 2015, 2.7 million (7%) and 2.3 million (6%) were also infected with chronic hepatitis B virus and of chronic hepatitis C virus, respectively.
Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C causes severe liver damage, which can lead to cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer, the burden of which is particularly heavy in the African region.
According to the 2015 WHO World Report on Hepatitis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses are among the leading infections responsible for the largest number of diseases globally .
Speaking on the same occasion, Dr. Alex Gasasira, WHO Representative in the country, commended Zimbabwe for being one of the first countries in Africa to set up a prevention and treatment program for this important public health disease.
He stated that viral hepatitis was a major international public health challenge, comparable to other major communicable diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, but despite the heavy burden that it poses. represents for communities from all regions of the world, it has been largely ignored until recently.
According to Dr. Gasasira, while mortality from HIV, TB and malaria was decreasing, mortality due to viral hepatitis was increasing, hence the urgent need to reverse the alarming trend through effective and profitable interventions such as vaccination against hepatitis B. who can win an early victory for prevention.
For Zimbabwe's viral hepatitis program to be a success, Dr. Gasasira called early on for partners to support different components of this important public health response.
He said it was important to learn from and build on the strengths of pre-existing programs, such as the HIV one, to provide an effective response to this problem.
He praised Zimbabwe among the countries that have made good progress in securing the blood supply and improving the safety of injections into health care facilities, which greatly reduces the risk of Infections with hepatitis C virus.
In May 2016, the World Health Assembly adopted WHO's first Global Strategy for the Health Sector for Viral Hepatitis, with the primary goal of elimination.
The strategy advocates the elimination of viral hepatitis as a threat to public health by 2030 (90% reduction in new infections and 65% reduction in mortality). The strategy covers the first six years of the health program for post-2015 2016-2021, based on the prevention and control of infection with viral hepatitis.
It concerns the five hepatitis viruses (hepatitis A, B, C, D and E), with a focus on hepatitis B and C, because of the relative public health burden that exists. they represent (they are responsible for 96% of the total mortality by hepatitis).
In November 2017, the Ministry of Health and Child Protection Services conducted a rapid badessment of the state of implementation of prevention, treatment, care and control of the disease. Viral hepatitis in the country. Among the key findings, there was strong political will and a strong commitment to establishing viral hepatitis treatment services at all levels. The hepatitis B vaccine is part of the National Infant Immunization Program and the coverage has increased, estimated at 87% in 2015. However, no birth dose for hepatitis B vaccination is available. 39 is included in the program and there is no vaccination policy for health workers. There are no national guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of acute and chronic viral hepatitis, nor are there any specific drugs for the management of viral hepatitis in the public sector.
The strategic plan currently under development and expected to be finalized by the end of June 2019 will provide strategies to address identified deficiencies.
For more information or to request interviews, please contact:
Wendy Julias Communications Officer Tel: + 263 914 31408 Email: [email protected]
Source link
