It is true that Hep B is worse than HIV. In Westnile, HIV is at about 4.5% but Hep B is at 20-25%.
In April 2012 a group of health workers under Westnile Forum for Health and Devt (WEFHAD) did screening for Hep B and Cancer (Cervix, Breast and Prostate) in Arua and Maracha hospitals. The results for Hep B are in particular NOT GOOD at all. The report is available but efforts to share it with some district officials failed simply bse they never supported us when we were on ground. There is more in the findings in the report than meets the eye. However, the report has been taken by the usually concerned Hon Atiku Benard. He has already mobilised the other MPs from West Nile and they were scheduled to meet with officials from Ministry of Health on Friday 5th April at parliament but because the same MPs needed to urgently meet officials of Electricity Regulatory Authority over WENRECo, the meeting on Hep B has been rescheduled to a later date. Hopefully, Min of Health ( Dept National Disease Control and Clinical Services) will rescue our people. Lets keep our eyes and ears open. Thank you. ------------------------------ On Mon, Apr 8, 2013 12:59 AM BST samuel andema wrote: > > >I would like than the Daily Monitor for breaking this news >about the outbreak of this deadly disease called hepatitis B in Arua District >to the Ministry of health, the Local Government, the World Health Organization >must respond with urgency and effectiveness to contain the spread through >massive vaccination. Hepatitis B virus is a deadly disease because it >transmitted by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person – the >same way as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However HBV is 50 to 100 >times more infectious than HIV according research. > > The GOOD NEWS is that you can protect yourself >against hepatitis B by being vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine has an >outstanding record of safety and effectiveness, and since 1982, over one >billion doses have been used worldwide. The vaccine is reported to be 95% >effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Protection lasts >for 20 years at least, no booster is recommended by World Health Organization >as of today. > >Intermittent reports about the prevalence of hepatitis B in West >Nile have been circulating at low key for a while. Many people in the >villages have been >reported to have died of the disease without the news hitting headlines in the >national media. It is now time for government to intervene before the disease >gets out of control! Considering the mobility of human traffic to and from Arua >the disease will soon spread to other parts of Uganda and beyond. > > >Sam Andema > > > > >--- On Mon, 8/4/13, Charles Male <[email protected]> wrote: > >From: Charles Male <[email protected]> >Subject: [WestNileNet] 60 Arua prisoners have Hepatitis B >To: "Kobokonet Koboko" <[email protected]>, "A Virtual Network for >friends of West Nile" <[email protected]> >Date: Monday, 8 April, 2013, 2:24 > >Aluma....you have said it all.... May it not fall on deaf eyes... > >We had a discussion on HepB on KKnet sometime last year and I beleive >someoe indicated that the are vaccination programs available in Arua >but the prohibitive factors were ignorance (lack of awareness) and >cost. > >Dr Driwale, kindly update on the situation within your area of >responsibility..... > >Would appreciate other input from the health care/public health >professionals... > >Charles > > > >++++++++++++++ > >West Nile Youth Initiative coordinator Yahaya Aluma asked all the MPs >hailing from the region to present a bipartisan position to the >parliament about the plight of the condition. “The Ministry of Health >should come out with an expeditious plan to combat the disease which >should include a mass immunization exercise throughout the region,” Mr >Aluma said. > > >+++++++++++++++ > >ARUA > >At least 78 cases of the deadly hepatitis B disease have been >confirmed at Arua Prison. The most affected are the male inmates, the >staff and their families. > >According to tests which were carried out last week at the main >laboratory at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, of the 633 male >inmates, 62 were found to be positive for Hepatitis B. >While in the female section, of the 53 inmates tested, one was found >to be positive. But no death has so far been registered as a result. > >And the virus has not spared prison staff members. Of the 103 prisons >staff tested, 15 were found to be positive. When contacted for a >comment, the Uganda Prisons spokesperson, Mr Frank Baine, declined to >give details although he admitted that “the disease has been there.” > >An inmate who had completed his sentence, but declined to be named in >order to speak freely, said there was need for sensitisation on health >in the prisons. “It is true some of our friends were tested positive >but the living conditions should be improved,” he said. > >Recently, a group of youth from West Nile Youth Initiative against >Hepatitis B threatened to petition the Speaker of Parliament over the >disease which they said was silently killing the youths. > >West Nile Youth Initiative coordinator Yahaya Aluma asked all the MPs >hailing from the region to present a bipartisan position to the >parliament about the plight of the condition. “The Ministry of Health >should come out with an expeditious plan to combat the disease which >should include a mass immunization exercise throughout the region,” Mr >Aluma said. > > > >http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/60-Arua-prisoners-have-Hepatitis-B/-/688334/1742204/-/53fxqh/-/index.html >_______________________________________________ >WestNileNet mailing list >[email protected] >http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > >WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > >The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >attachments if any). 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