Hepatitis causes, signs and symptoms and everything to know about di disease

Every 28 July, di World Health Organisation, WHO dey celebrate World Hepatitis Day to increase awareness of di disease, wey dey affect di liver and fit lead to liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Di oga patapata for di body, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warn say by 2040, hepatitis fit kill more pipo than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV put togeda.

E tok say millions of pipo dey live with 'undiagnosed and untreated hepatitis' for di world and e fit get worse if di infection spread pass wetin e be.

For 2021 World Health Organisation Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, say more dan 90 million pipo dey live wit hepatitis for di region, dis na 26% of di global total.

More dan 124,000 Africans dey die every year sake of di consequences of undetected and untreated hepatitis.

Dr Moeti further tok say around 4.5 million African children under five years old dey infected wit chronic hepatitis B, na 70% of di global burden dis age group dey carry.

Madam Moeti say dem don reach di global target of less dan 1% incidence of hepatitis B in children under 5 years, but Africa region still dey behind at 2.5%.

She say most of di cases dey preventable if dem tackle mother-to-child transmission of di disease, during belle or shortly after birth and wen pikin dey small. Di key tin to do against hepatitis B na vaccination at birth and in early childhood, screening pregnant women, and providing timely treatment.

Wetin be hepatitis?

Hepatitis na liver disease wey hepatitis virus dey cause. Pesin fit catch am from anoda person if una body fluid touch.

E fit be through sexual contact, blood contact or even saliva and faeces. Small touch wit fluid fit transmit di disease.

Experts describe hepatitis as inflammation of di liver. Di liver na ogbonge organ for body wey dey process nutrients, filter di blood and fight infections. But wen di liver spoil, e go affect as e dey work.

Viral infection, heavy alcohol use, toxins, some kind drugs and medical conditions too dey cause hepatitis.

Wetin be di sypmtoms of di disease?

Expert says pesin wey get hepatitis wey strong, like hepatitis B and C fit no get symptoms wen e start until wen e don damage liver.

Some of di signs be tiredness, flu-like symptoms, dark urine, pale stool, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, yellow skin and eyes wey go be like sign of jaundice.

Hepatitis B nko?

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) na im dey cause Hepatitis B. You fit catch am if your body touch wit body fluid like blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluids — from pesin wey get am.

If you have sex with pesin wey dey infected and dia body fluid enter your body.

Abi you share needle, syringe, or drug equipment wit pesin wey dey infected.

Pregnant woman wey get hepatitis B fit pass am to dia babies during childbirth. Na through dis way many pipo dey get hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B no dey spread through casual contact.