Hepatitis B can be prevented by safe, effective vaccine – Medical experts

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan 

Medical experts have emphasised that Hepatitis B can be prevented by safe and effective vaccine, of which is available.

Dr Francis Sanwo and Dr Hakeem Alimi made the assertion on Tuesday in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Ibadan, in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day.

NAN reports that World Hepatitis Day is commemorated annually on July 28 with the 2025 theme as “Hepatitis: let’s break it down”.

Sanwo, Medical Director at Our Lady of Apostles Catholic Hospital, Oluyoro, Ibadan, said that no fewer than 686,000 people die yearly due to complications of Hepatitis B, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

He described Hepatitis B as a major global health problem that could cause chronic infection and put people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

“A vaccine against hepatitis B, which is 95 per cent effective in preventing infection and the development of chronic disease and liver cancer has been available since 1982.

“The hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days, during this time, the virus can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person, who is not protected by the vaccine.

“The incubation period of the hepatitis B virus is 75 days on average, but can vary from 30 to 180 days, the virus may be detected within 30 to 60 days after infection and can persist and develop into chronic hepatitis B.

“In highly endemic areas, hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission), or through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.

“The development of chronic infection is very common in infants infected from their mothers or before the age of 5 years,”he said.

Sanwo, also a Family Physician, told NAN that the likelihood for infection to become chronic depended upon the age at which a person was infected.

He added that children less than six years of age, who became infected with the hepatitis B virus were the most likely to develop chronic infections.

“In adults, less than five per cent of otherwise healthy persons who are infected as adults will develop chronic infection; and 20–30 per cent of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

“However, there is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B, therefore, care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea.

“Chronic hepatitis B infection can be treated with drugs, including oral antiviral agents.

“WHO recommends the use of oral treatments – tenofovir or entecavir, because these are the most potent drugs to suppress hepatitis B virus; in most people, however, the treatment does not cure hepatitis B infection, but only suppresses the replication of the virus.

“Therefore, most people who start hepatitis B treatment must continue it for life,” he said.

According to the family physician, the hepatitis B vaccine is the mainstay of hepatitis B prevention.

Sanwo urged all children and adolescents younger than 18 years old and not previously vaccinated to receive the vaccine if they lived in countries where there was low or intermediate endemicity.

He also explained that antiviral medicines could cure more than 95 per cent of persons with Hepatitis C infection, thereby reducing the risk of death.

“Hepatitis C does not always require treatment as the immune response in some people will clear the infection, and some people with chronic infection do not develop liver damage.

“When treatment is necessary, the goal of hepatitis C treatment is cure, the cure rate depends on several factors including the strain of the virus and the type of treatment given.

“The standard of care for hepatitis C is changing rapidly, Sofosbuvir, daclatasvir and the sofosbuvir/ledipasvir combination are part of the preferred regimens in the WHO guidelines, and can achieve cure rates above 95 per cent.

“These medicines are much more effective, safer and better-tolerated than the older therapies. Access to HCV treatment is improving, but remains limited.

“There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, therefore prevention of HCV infection depends upon reducing the risk of exposure to the virus in health-care settings and in higher risk populations,” Sanwo said.

Also, Alimi, Senior Registrar, Gastroenterology Unit, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, described Hepatitis as inflammation of the liver with many causes, the commonest being viral hepatitis.

Alimi added that 8.1 per cent of Nigerians have hepatitis B, while unfortunately most people are not aware of their status.

According to him, the effects depends on severity with some patients having no symptoms whatsoever.

He emphasised that in severe cases, it could result in jaundice, abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, vomiting of blood and even coma, just to mention a few.

“Prevention they say is better than cure, getting tested is the first step. If you test negative you will get three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.

“If you test positive not to worry, treatment is available. Hepatitis C is curable and that is quite re-assuring. It is also important to live healthy, avoid alcohol, and ensure good diet and exercise,” he said.

Alimi also underscored the need for Nigeria to upscale testing, vaccination and treatment to reduce the burden of the disease.

“It’s a manageable condition if detected early, however compliance with treatment and monitoring are essential.

“Let’s break down: a Clarion call to break all barriers to elimination of hepatitis be it financial, social, systemic barrier, stigmatization etc.

“The goal is to eliminate hepatitis by 2030 and breaking this barrier will make this target possible,”Alimi said. (NAN)