Nigeria is currently going through a lot in various aspects of human activity. In all, the country’s health status ought to be of paramount concern. As a nation, while we are presently worried about disturbing economic matters, it’s imperative to create time for issues bordering on our collective health being.

This is the reason I chose to talk about Hepatitis, which has been tagged a monster by myself and my likes. It’s arguably a topic we can’t shy away from, taking into cognizance the prevailing occurrence of the menace in question.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has greatly sponsored various movements and campaigns targeted to create enormous awareness pertaining to Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, as well as to encourage the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

In the world today, there are millions of illnesses or diseases in existence coupled with the ones that seem to have no specific cause or cure. Among these diseases, some are often referred to be stubborn regarding their mode of cure while some are seen to be deadly.

No doubt, hepatitis is one of those stubborn or deadly illnesses in existence. Hepatitis is a medical condition, defined as an inflammation of one of the most vital organs in the human body known as the Liver. It is usually characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The inflammatory condition can be self-limiting or can heal on its own.

But on the contrary, it can progress to fibrosis or cirrhosis, as the case may be. Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, poor appetite, and a feeling of unease. It is referred to as acute when it lasts less than six months, and chronic when it persists longer.

Common causes of viral hepatitis, which is the most rampant type, are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses

Globally, hepatitis viruses are the most common causes of the condition, but hepatitis can as well be caused by other infections, autoimmune diseases, or toxic substances such as alcohol, certain medications, and some industrial organic solvents and plants.

Initial features of acute hepatitis are of non specific flu-like symptoms, invariably common to almost all acute viral infections, and may include fatigue, muscle and joint aches, fever, nausea diarrhoea, vomiting, and headache.

More specific symptoms, which could be present in acute hepatitis from any cause, are profound loss of appetite, aversion to smoking among smokers, excretion of dark urine, and abdominal discomfort.

A small proportion of people with acute hepatitis usually progress to acute liver failure, in which the liver would be unable to remove harmful substances from the blood, thereby leading to confusion and coma due to hepatic encephalopathy. It’s noteworthy that the acute liver failure may further result in the production of blood proteins, which often leads to peripheral edema and bleeding.

More so, a chronic hepatitis, which is commonly identified through blood test, is usually characterized with no symptoms at all. It often leads to the presence of jaundice, which indicates advanced liver damage. On physical examination, there may be enlargement of the liver. In the same vein, women with autoimmune hepatitis mostly experience abnormal menstruation, lung scarring, inflammation of the thyroid gland and kidneys.

Aside the aforementioned two major classes of hepatitis, it is invariably grouped and recognized by medical experts based on its common causes. On this note, the different types of hepatitis in existence that are widely recognized include, Viral hepatitis, Alcoholic hepatitis, Toxic and drug-induced hepatitis, Ischemic hepatitis, and Giant cell hepatitis, just to mention but a few.

Common causes of viral hepatitis, which is the most rampant type, are the five unrelated hepatotropic viruses known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E viruses. There is an estimate that hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, thereby causing acute or chronic disease and killing close to 1.4 million people every year.

Currently, survey reveals that approximately five hundred (500) million people worldwide are suffering from either hepatitis B or hepatitis C. If left untreated or unmanaged, hepatitis B or C can lead to advanced liver scarring known as cirrhosis and other complications including liver cancer or liver failure.

While many people worry more about contracting diseases like HIV than hepatitis, the reality is that every year, at least 1.3 million people worldwide die as a result of either hepatitis B or C faster than they would in the case of HIV/ AIDS.

Needless to say that, hepatitis is indeed a deadly disease. Considering this fact, it is pathetic and devastating to note that many hepatitis carriers are yet to realize they are living with the disease. Hepatitis groups, patients as well as advocates worldwide, take part in series of events on every July 28 to mark the World Hepatitis Day.

The day is one of the eight official global public health campaigns being marked by the WHO annually. At such a critical time like this when several people pass on unannounced without prior knowledge of any ailment, there’s need for collective support as regards creation of awareness on the silent killer known as ‘Hepatitis’.

We, as a people, can proudly key into this crucial crusade by joining in raising awareness on the different forms of hepatitis, their common causes and how they are transmitted; strengthening prevention, screening, and control of viral hepatitis and other related diseases; increasing hepatitis B vaccine coverage cum integration into national immunization programmes as well as coordinating a global response to hepatitis.

It’s, therefore, needless to state that all hands are expected to be on deck towards ensuring this killer menace that has hitherto remained a colossal societal monster is duly eliminated. This can only be achieved if we begin to place priorities far above frivolities. Think about it.

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