Uganda is battling to contain the spread of the Hepatitis B virus after it emerged that over 3.5 million people have been infected.

The most affected areas are north and northeast of the country, where access to screening and treatment services remain low.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, about one million of those infected are chronically ill and require treatment.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that largely affects the liver. Some people get the virus without it leading to illness, while for others it may result in long-term health complications causing acute and chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Direct blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex and sharing contaminated skin piercing instruments such as needles are major ways in which the disease is spread.
Nursing babies can also be infected if their mothers are infected.

Health Minister Dr Elioda Tumwesigye said Ush10 billion ($3 million) was made available to manage the disease in the 2015/2016 financial year, but the money is still not enough to deal with the current burden.

The minister said the priority was first given to vaccinating people in 12 of the 33 endemic districts, but the current funding is not only enough to procure the required doses for the 1,557,568 out of the 3.44 million people in the 12 districts.

“There is a shortfall of 1,699,974 doses for the affected districts,” he said.

The growing number of South Sudanese refugees in districts such as Moyo and Adjumani has also contributed to the increased number of people who require vaccination.

Population census

“These people were not counted during the 2014 population census. This has caused a shortage of the vaccines in these districts received. But we hope to fill this gap in the new financial year,” said Dr Tumwesigye.

Hepatitis B has no cure, but the disease can be controlled from progressing into a chronic illness though proper and early treatment using drugs such as oral antiviral agents.

Vaccination is also crucial in preventing new infections, but Uganda is struggling to ensure that the whole population that lives in affected areas gets the required doses.

Besides those living in areas considered high-risk, the ministry wants all people above 14 who test negative on screening are to be Health officials said currently.

children under the age of 13 are considered to be safe from Hepatitis B after the government in 2002 introduced the pentavalent vaccine into routine immunisation schedules under the Uganda expanded programme on immunisation (Unepi).

“This effectively means that if the Unepi schedules were followed and adhered to, children up to 13 years of age are fully immunised against Hepatitis B,” said Dr Tumwesigye.

Globally, 240 million people are chronically ill with Hepatitis B, with the disease killing an estimated 780,000 people every year, mostly in poor countries in Africa and Asia, according to the World Health Organisation.

Ministry of Health officials say the death toll from the disease is not known as most patients silently live and die with the condition from home without seeking treatment.

The birth dose should be followed by two or three doses thereafter.