Research Uncovers Cheaper Diagnostic Tools for Chronic Hepatitis B in Africa: Africa HepatitisB
In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers recommend revising the current World Health Organization guidelines on managing the condition.
According to the study, Africa represents one of the high-burden regions for chronic hepatitis B virus. Of the estimated 316 million people that live with chronic hepatitis B virus infection worldwide, 82 million are in Africa. "In resource-limited settings, however, these fibrosis assessment tools are rarely available, and antiviral treatment is therefore often delayed until the patients have developed symptoms of advanced chronic liver disease," the research paper says.
They established that the conventional hepatitis B care standards are unsuitable for patient management in Africa. They found that the diagnosis level as set by the WHO"is inappropriately high in sub-Saharan Africa," which is often constrained by a lack of resources. "Africa is now the epicenter of the hepatitis B epidemic. In fact, 2 of 3 new infections occur on the African continent. To combat the hepatitis B pandemic in Africa, we need African data to inform practice," Johannessen says."But in fact, everyone we reached out to were eager to participate. It is obvious that this is a topic that feels like a priority to colleagues working throughout Africa," he says.
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