Govt launches campaign against Hepatitis B

By Nicholas Wassajja

THE Ministry of Health and the National Organization for People Living with Hepatitis B (NOPLHB) have launched a campaign to create awareness and raise funds to fight against the disease.

The campaign that will enable members of the general public participate in fighting the silent killer through a charity walk event, is aimed at raising over shs 500m to strengthen the Hepatitis B clinic in Arua Regional Referral Hospital.

Kenneth Kabagambe the executive director NOPLHB said that the funds will also help create a national SMS platform as a resource center for Hepatitis B.

“Apart from enhancing Proper understanding of the disease, opportunities will also be given to communities for free screening, blood checkups, blood count, grouping and further tests for those who are positive,” explained Kabagambe.

Hepatitis B which is estimated to be killing 1.45 million people annually like HIV worldwide is also believed to be affecting 3 million Ugandans chronically though unaware.

According to the National Seroservey 2004, majority of the infected people are from the North and North Eastern Uganda with a prevalence rate of 20-25% compared to the country’s 10%.

Speaking to journalists at the launch of the campaign, Kabagambe said that the prevalence of the disease that is contracted through unprotected sex, sharing cutting objects and unscreened blood transfusion is high in the West Nile because of their culture of tattooing bodies and their living conditions in the aftermath of the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgence.

Kabagambe said, “I doubt if these people use safe objects while tattooing themselves. But nevertheless we have to help our brothers because testing and treating the virus is very expensive for an average Ugandan.”

An initial Hepatitis B screening would cost about shs 400,000 while further tests after one testing positive to Hepatitis B may cost up to shs 1m.