San Pedro, November 30 (AIP) – The NGO My Child, My Future, in collaboration with the Ivorian Network for the fight against viral hepatitis, initiated an awareness and screening campaign for this disease, Thursday November 28 and Friday November 29 2024, at Inagohi High School in San Pedro.
During a conference given before the screening, the students were informed about viral hepatitis, in particular form B, and its modes of transmission through blood similar to those of HIV/AIDS, in particular through sexual intercourse, injuries caused by contaminated objects, saliva and mother-to-child transmission.
The hepatitis virus, very resistant and 100 times more contagious than HIV, attacks the liver. It is discovered either during screening or during one of its dreaded complications, such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Many people can have it without knowing it, and when it is discovered, it is often too late, because the disease progresses silently and without specific signs. The campaign enabled 600 students to be tested for hepatitis B.
The president of the Ivorian Network for the Fight against Hepatitis (RILHVi), Professor Bathaix Yao Fulgence, and the speaker, Dr Irié Rodrigue, advised those who will be declared carriers of the virus to consult local doctors trained by the RILHVi in April.
As for non-carriers, they encouraged them to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, as the vaccine against hepatitis C does not exist. They also recommended preventative measures, including avoiding unprotected sex, having their hair done with unsterilized instruments, as well as tattoos and scarification.
According to data from the WHO and the national program to combat viral hepatitis, Côte d’Ivoire is in an area of high prevalence of the hepatitis B virus, with a rate of around 13% for this form and 4% for hepatitis C. More than one in 10 people in Côte d’Ivoire carry viral hepatitis B, and liver cancer is the most common digestive cancer, its main cause being viral hepatitis b.
The president of the NGO Mon Enfant, Mon Futur, Dr Attri Daniel, explained that he had chosen students as the target of this awareness campaign, because they are exposed to the risk of contamination due to their early sexual activity without precaution. In addition, he added, several of them do not have up-to-date vaccination records.
(AIP)
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