Temitope Adeiye
Two days ago, July 28 was World Hepatitis Day. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver and it is caused by a virus or long term alcohol use.
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Hepatitis is the major cause of liver cancer:
Hepatitis (B and C) are the major causes of liver cancer. Long term Hepatitis causes scarring of the tissues in the liver (cirrhosis). Healthy liver cells gradually get replaced with scar tissue. The liver tries to repair itself by creating new cells, increasing the risk of getting liver cancer.
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A liver transplant doesn’t cure Hepatitis:
Irreparable damage to the liver is one of the highest causes of liver transplant. But even after removing and replacing the diseased liver with a healthy one, the patient needs medication to completely clear the virus out of his body. There is medication to cure Hepatitis after a transplant.
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It is more infectious than HIV/AIDS:
Hepatitis is about 10 times more contagious than HIV/AIDS, especially since some Hepatitis virus can be contracted through contaminated food or water. Also, the Hepatitis virus can survive outside the body for 7 days and still infect a person who comes in contact with it.
As many people dies from HIV/AIDS, even more people die from Hepatitis.
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It is curable and preventable:
Unlike HIV/AIDS which currently does not have a cure, Hepatitis can be prevented by vaccines and infected persons can be treated and cured.
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Many people are infected but don’t know:
Hepatitis affects about 350 million people worldwide and many of them are aware they they have the virus. As a result, they spread the virus unknowingly. Hepatitis is most common in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
