From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZIMBABWE: HEPATITIS B COULD BECOME AN EPIDEMIC
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 22:13:28 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Third World Dvpmnt
Title: ZIMBABWE: HEPATITIS B COULD BECOME AN EPIDEMIC


an inter press service feature

by tafadzwa matimba-mumba

harare, dec 22 (ips) -- how many african mothers know that by
the reflex action of tasting half a spoonful of an infants' hot
porridge before feeding the child with the rest they could be
contaminating it with the hepatitis b virus?

today, health officials admit that social behaviour in africa
could turn the disease into an epidemic of which african
children are the most vulnerable.

''we know that 80 percent of infants and children who are not
immunised against hepatitis b will be chronically ill and will
end up with cancer of the liver'', oluseye obatolu, director of
maternal child health and family planning in the health ministry
told ips.

''if we don't prevent it, it means that the health system will
spend a lot of money on its control and that many lives will be
lost'', he adds.

more than 10 percent of zimbabwe's adults are chronic
hepatitis b carriers. of zimbabwe's 10.4 million population, 50
percent are adults.

worldwide, 300 million people are infected with hepatitis b.
of these, 33 million are found in africa, obatolu says. between
5-20 percent of sub-saharan africans are known to be hepatitis b
carriers.

discovered in the 1960's, the disease induces liver cancer in
80 percent of its sufferers, which can lead to death. as an
infectious agent, the hepatitis b virus is far more efficient
than the human immunideficiency virus (hiv)

according to clement kirire, dean of the university of
zimbabwe medical school, the disease is spread sexually, through
blood, semen, vaginal secretions, sweat and saliva.

''a child can also get the disease through the cracks found
around a mother's nipples and through the breast milk'', kirire
says.

an estimated 15 percent of mothers pass the virus on to their
children in this way. ''but breast-feeding is important so the
only way to protect that child is by vaccinating him', adds
kirire.

the overcrowded living conditions increase the problem of
horizontal transmission between children in african countries.
(more/ips)


zimbabwe: hepatitis (2)

other behaviour such as sharing infected razor blades during
treatment by traditional healers, and sharing toothburshes are
charecteristics conducive for disease spread.

in southern africa 15 percent of the population are infected
with hepatitis b virus.

''we have a problem which is of epidemic proportion here in
zimbabwe. the disease is dangerous for the society and it can get
worse if nothing is done'' says obatolu.

as a child saving measure, the zimbabwe government with the
assistance of the international aid for development will, from
february 1992, embark on a free hepatitis b child immunisation
programme.

to be included in zimbabwe's expanded programme of
immunisation (epi) programme, it aims to immunise infants at age
three, four and nine months. an ambitious 400,000 are set to be
immunised each year.

as high risk group, health workers, prison, military and
police officers are also earmarked for immunisation, obatolu
says.

without this immunisation, between 80 and 90 percent of
children infected with the virus by their mothers are likely to
become carriers and later develop liver cancer.

according to the u.n. childrens fund (unicef) state of the
worlds children report 1993, immunisation coverage in developing
countries has been increased to about 80 percent in the past 10
years.

sub-saharan africa saw a four percent decline in reported
polio cases. the average number of reported measles cases
decreased from nearly 1400,000 in 1981 to about 700,000 cases in
1991.

in spite of the high threat of hepatitis b however, african
governments are failing to focus on the disease.

about five percent of zimbabwe's regular blood donors test
hepatitis b positive. ''if we get new donors only, we get about
15 percent positivity'', says david mvere, deputy director.

future plans for curbing increase of hepatitis b include
development of a combined diptheria--pertunissis-(whooping
cough)-tetanus-hepatitis b (dpt-hep b) vaccine, to be
administered in epi programmes. (end/ips/tm-m/oa/92)

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