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– A new dashboard – the first to examine the prevalence and response to hepatitis in the African region of the World Health Organization (WHO),
This analysis is the first to follow every country in the region and to evaluate the progress made in order to save the lives of more than two million Africans who may develop progressive hepatitis of the liver or hepatitis C during of the next decade if countries fail to increase their capacity. efforts. It provides essential information on the state of the regional response to hepatitis, measuring progress against the Framework for Action for the Prevention, Treatment and Care of Hepatitis in the African region (2016-2020). It was created to guide Member States in the implementation of the global health sector strategy against viral hepatitis, which advocates the elimination of hepatitis by 2030 (defined as a reduction of 90% of new cases and 65% of deaths).
Every year, more than 200,000 people in Africa die from hepatitis B and hepatitis C-related liver diseases, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Sixty million people – in the WHO African Region, were living with chronic hepatitis B infection in 2015. More than 4.8 million of them are children under the age of five years. Another 10 million people are infected with hepatitis C, probably because of unsafe injecting practices in health facilities or communities.
The analysis shows that 28 countries have developed a national strategic plan for the fight against viral hepatitis; however, most are still in draft form and only 13 are officially published and disseminated. WHO has been a major partner in the regional response by developing policies and providing technical and financial support, as well as capacity building for a coordinated regional response.
7 countries in the region (15%) are carrying out prevention efforts with national coverage greater than 90% for the vaccination to be administered to the child at birth against hepatitis B and pentavalent for children. There are major gaps in the screening and treatment of hepatitis, with less than 8 countries viral hepatitis. Uganda has started free hepatitis B treatment at the national level and Rwanda provides free treatment for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Both countries are champions of the regional response and are in the process of meet the 2020 Framework targets for community-based testing and awareness.
Hepatitis B vaccine delivery at birth and infancy is the most effective way to stop the transmission of the virus because 95% of the burden of chronic disease is due to infections in children contracted before their fifth birthday , including from mother to mother. transmission of the child. Despite the low cost of vaccination at birth (less than $ 0.20 per child), only 11 countries in the region follow this protocol. Cabo Verde is one of those countries where the government mobilized financial resources and achieved 99% vaccination coverage at birth.
The scorecard was presented at the first African Summit on Hepatitis in Kampala, Uganda, from 18 to 20 June.
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