Why Hepatitis demands our urgent attention

This newspaper yesterday detailed a report, which paints a gloomy picture on the state of Hepatitis in the country.

With 2.8 million Ugandans killed by the disease in four years alone, as reported by the World Health Organisation, it means we all need to do everything possible to stem the infections. 

As we go about our daily lives, the stealthy killer is lurking in the shadows, striking down thousands of Ugandans annually and threatening to take more because very little attention has been given to the virus. Even May, the month marked out to give focus to the disease globally, was quiet in many circles. Hepatitis, a liver disease that often shows no symptoms until it is too late, has become a growing epidemic in our nation, and we think the time is now right to sound the alarm and take action.

According to our reporting, Hepatitis B and C, the most prevalent strains, are highly infectious and can be spread through contaminated blood, unsafe medical practices, and even everyday contact with an infected person. Once the virus gets into one’s body, the consequences are devastating: liver damage, cirrhosis, cancer, and death.

To buttress this call, it is important to note that the statistics are staggering, yet awareness remains dismally low, and stigma surrounds those infected.

Details in the Health Management Information System, the Health ministry’s central data portal, shows that eight out of every 10 Ugandans who contracted Hepatitis B over the past five years were aged 20-59.

This group constitutes the skilled and experienced labour force in the country, meaning those infected or killed by the disease are young adults or those in prime of their lives who double as providers for loved ones.

So, what can be done? First, we must educate ourselves and others about Hepatitis. Know the risks, recognise the symptoms, and get tested. Second, we need to push for improved healthcare infrastructure, including increased funding, better diagnostic tools, and access to effective treatments.

Third, we must break the stigma surrounding Hepatitis as we attempted with HIV. Those infected deserve compassion, support, and understanding.

Finally, we must demand action from our leaders to take action from budgeting to investing in policy formulations. People should be informed that once one contracts, it can be treated.

Hepatitis is a ticking time bomb, but together, we can defuse it through promotion of standard operating procedures and making the campaigns loud and clear.

Our commitment to you

We pledge:

• To be accurate and fair in all we do.
• To be respectful to all in our pursuit of the truth.
• To refuse to accept any compensation beyond that provided by Monitor Publications Ltd. for what we do in our news gathering and decision-making.

Further, we ask that we be informed whenever you feel that we have fallen short in our attempt to keep these commitments.