Assessment of health communication practice on hepatitis B in Southwest Nigeria

In line with the Sustainable Development Goal 3:3 of ending the epidemic of hepatitis by year 2030, there is a global call for strategic information to understand viral hepatitis. Existing studies on hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Nigeria have primarily focused on health practitioners and their patients, to the neglect of detailed empirical data on health communication practice, especially as it relates to semi-urban and urban demographic information. The study set to find out the communication strategies employed by government and non-government organisations working on HBV, as well as the preferred health communication channels for hepatitis B by semi-urban and urban residents. The study adopted a mixed method. The qualitative method assessed the communication strategies employed by government and non-government health-related agencies in informing people on HBV in Nigeria while, the survey examined the preferred health communication channels for HBV management among 582 semi-urban and urban residents in Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun States, Southwest Nigeria. Bivariate analyses were performed on demographic variables and preferred health communication channels for HBV by states. This study found that government agencies and non-government organisations working on hepatitis B predominantly make use of interpersonal communication in getting the people informed of HBV. Also, residents of Southwest Nigeria (elderly, 71.4% (Lagos), married couples, 53.7% (Ogun)) preferred the internet as a health communication source for hepatitis B information as against traditional means of television, radio and print platforms

Hepatitis B virus infection among different sex and age groups in Pakistani Punjab

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious health problem in the developing countries including Pakistan. Various risk factors are responsible for the spread of this infectious disease. Prevalence of HBV infection in apparently suspected individual of Punjab province of Pakistan was analyzed during January 2008 to December 2010. Current study was aimed to investigate the epidemiology and risk factors of HBV infection.</p> <p>Methodology</p> <p>Four thousand eight hundred and ninety patients suffering from chronic liver disease were screened for the presence of HBV DNA using qualitative Real Time PCR methodology to confirm their status of infection. A predesigned standard questionnaire was filled for all the patients that included information about the possible risk factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 4890 ELISA positive patients were screened for Hepatitis B virus infection. Of these 3143 were positive for HBV, includes 68.15% males and 31.85% females. Male were observed to be more frequently infected as compared to the female with a positivity ratio of 2.14: 1. The rate of infection increases with the passage of time in the course of three years. Highest frequency of infection was found in the age of 21-30 was 34.93% followed by 23.83% in 31-40. Only (13.39%) were belonging to the age group 11-20 year. The rate of infection declines with increasing age as shown by age groups 41-50 (16.13%) and 51-60 (7.09%). While children aged 0-10 and very old >60 age groups were very less frequently 1.49% and 1.65% infected respectively. Important risk factors contributing to HBV spread include barber risk (23.60%), blood transfusion (4.04%), History of injection 26.19%, Reuse of syringes 26.60%, dental risk (11.20%) and surgical procedure (4.26%). Among the entire respondents trend sharing personal items was very common. History of injection, barber risk, surgery and dental procedure and reuse of syringes appear as major risk factors for the transmission.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Male were more frequently exposed to the risk factors as compared to female. Similarly the younger age group had high rate of infection as compared to the children's and the older age groups. Reuse of syringes', barber risk and History of injection were main risk identified during the present study. To lower HBV transmission rate Government should take aggressive steps towards massive awareness and vaccination programs to decrease the burden of HBV from the Punjab province of Pakistan.</p