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Spearman CW, Afihene M, Ally R, Apica B, Awuku Y, Cunha L, Dusheiko G, Gogela N, Kassianides C, Kew M, Lam P, Lesi O, Lohouès-Kouacou MJ, Mbaye PS, Musabeyezu E, Musau B, Ojo O, Rwegasha J, Scholz B, Shewaye AB, Tzeuton C, Sonderup MW. Hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa: strategies to achieve the 2030 elimination targets. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018; 2:900-909. [PMID: 29132759 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-1253(17)30295-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The WHO global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis, created in May, 2016, aims to achieve a 90% reduction in new cases of chronic hepatitis B and C and a 65% reduction in mortality due to hepatitis B and C by 2030. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and despite the introduction of universal hepatitis B vaccination and effective antiviral therapy, the estimated overall seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen remains high at 6·1% (95% uncertainty interval 4·6-8·5). In this Series paper, we have reviewed the literature to examine the epidemiology, burden of liver disease, and elimination strategies of hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reflects a supranational perspective of sub-Saharan Africa, and recommends several priority elimination strategies that address the need both to prevent new infections and to diagnose and treat chronic infections. The key to achieving these elimination goals in sub-Saharan Africa is the effective prevention of new infections via universal implementation of the HBV birth-dose vaccine, full vaccine coverage, access to affordable diagnostics to identify HBV-infected individuals, and to enable linkage to care and antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wendy Spearman
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Mary Afihene
- Department of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Reidwaan Ally
- Department of Gastroenterology, University of Witwatersrand, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Betty Apica
- Department of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Yaw Awuku
- Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Lina Cunha
- Hospital Privado de Maputo, Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Geoffrey Dusheiko
- University College London Medical School, Kings College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Neliswa Gogela
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chris Kassianides
- Gastroenterology Foundation of South Africa, Morningside MediClinic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michael Kew
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Philip Lam
- Department of Medicine, Victoria Hospital, Quatre Bornes, Mauritius
| | - Olufunmilayo Lesi
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | | | - Papa Saliou Mbaye
- Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Principal Hospital, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Betty Musau
- Department of Medicine, The Nairobi Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Olusegun Ojo
- Gastroenterology and Liver Pathology Unit, Department of Morbid Anatomy, Obafemi Awolowo University and Teaching Hospital Complex, Ile Ife, Nigeria
| | - John Rwegasha
- Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Abate B Shewaye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Addis Ababa University Medical School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Christian Tzeuton
- Société Camerounaise de Gastro-Entérologie, Douala Teaching Hospital, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Mark W Sonderup
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
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Spearman CW, Sonderup MW. Health disparities in liver disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Liver Int 2015; 35:2063-71. [PMID: 26053588 DOI: 10.1111/liv.12884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Disparities in health reflect the differences in the incidence, prevalence, burden of disease and access to care determined by socio-economic and environmental factors. With liver disease, these disparities are exacerbated by a combination of limited awareness and preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in addition to the diagnostic and management costs. Sub-Saharan Africa, comprising 11% of the world's population, disproportionately has 24% of the global disease burden, yet allocates <1% of global spend on health. It has 3% of the global healthcare workforce with a mean of 0.8 healthcare workers per 1000 population. Barriers to healthcare access are many and compounded by limited civil registration data, socio-economic inequalities, discrepancies in private and public healthcare services and geopolitical strife. The UN 2014 report on the Millennium Development Goals suggest that sub-Saharan Africa will probably not meet several goals, however with HIV/AIDS and Malaria (goal 6), many successes have been achieved. A 2010 Global Burden of Disease study demonstrated that cirrhosis mortality in sub-Saharan Africa doubled between 1980 and 2010. Aetiologies included hepatitis B (34%), hepatitis C (17%), alcohol (18%) and unknown in 31%. Hepatitis B, C and alcohol accounted for 47, 23 and 20% of hepatocellular carcinoma respectively. In 10%, the underlying aetiology was not known. Liver disease reflects the broader disparities in healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. However, many of these challenges are not insurmountable as vaccines and new therapies could comprehensively deal with the burden of viral hepatitis. Access to and affordability of therapeutics remains the major barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wendy Spearman
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark W Sonderup
- Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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