Bogotá, October 25, 2020. Viral hepatitis is an infection caused by various types of viruses (A, B, C, D and E), each with a different type of transmission, method of diagnosis and treatment.
According to the World Health Organization, these infections, together, produce approximately 1.4 million deaths worldwide per year, of which 47% are due to hepatitis B, 48% to hepatitis C and the rest to hepatitis A and E.
"The high mortality rate due to these viruses refers to the fact that hepatitis B and C result in chronic infections that can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. It has been estimated that 78% of cases of liver cancer and 57% of cases of cirrhosis worldwide are caused by chronic infections produced by these viruses," explained Claudia Cuéllar, interim director of Promotion and Prevention.
In Colombia it is anticipated that around 347,580 people live with hepatitis B, of which only about 23,000 know their diagnosis and about 325,600 live with hepatitis C and only about 6,000 know their diagnosis.
"For this reason, the Ministry of Health has included, in the health promotion and maintenance pathway–which all EPSs in the country must implement–, the active supply of these tests to people with risk factors such as a history of transfusions before 1996, older than or equal to 50 years old, having unprotected sex, and hepatitis B test for all pregnant women, among others," said Cuéllar.
In terms of prevention, the Ministry of Health's vaccination program against hepatitis B has been strengthened, "this will not only be for children under 6 years of age, as it was known, but, starting in 2021, the hepatitis B vaccine has been included for people with a high risk of infection such as persons involved in prostitution, people who inject drugs, transgender women, men who have sex with other men and street dwellers."
Recommendations
The interim director of Promotion and Prevention was emphatic in saying that it is important to understand that needles and syringes "can only be used once, and under no circumstances should they be reused or shared", understanding that this is the main route of infection of hepatitis.
Another relevant aspect, added Cuéllar, is that most people who are infected with hepatitis B or C are apparently healthy because they do not have symptoms until they develop complications. "That is why the person can infect others or be infected by sharing personal objects such as razors, nail clippers, needles and syringes, and it can also be transmitted to children during pregnancy and childbirth, when the infection is not identified in the mother in a timely manner," she said.
Viruses can also be transmitted through unprotected sex, "in this way, it is essential to limit the number of sexual partners, the indisputable use of condoms, to speak openly with the partner in case of feeling of being exposed and, of course, not to forget to consult the doctor in case of suspicion."
Other recommendations:
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B
- Wash hands and drink drinking water
- Do not have contact with the blood or fluids of other people
- Attend prenatal checkups
