As the globe commemorates World Hepatitis Day today, the World Health Organisation is calling for urgent introduction and scaling up of Hepatitis B birth dosage to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
According to the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the most vulnerable time for infection is in the first month of life, and this can be prevented with hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination in the first 24 hours of life.
She is optimistic that achieving at least 90% vaccination coverage in the region, would prevent over 1.5 million new infections and 1.2 million deaths from liver -cancer by 2035.
Moeti is concerned that despite the low cost of the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine, only 13 African countries have introduced it
Of the 71 million Africans with chronic viral hepatitis, 300 people sadly lose their lives daily from liver cancer and other complications related to hepatitis B and C infections.
The day is running under the theme; ‘’Bringing Hepatitis care closer to you’’.
