The Choking Smoke of Hepatitis in South Sudan
4 min readBy Awuol Gabriel Arok, Juba, South Sudan
March 28, 2018 (SSB) — The word Hepatitis is derived from the Greek hepar meaning “liver” and itis meaning “inflammation”. According to Wikipedia Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people have no symptoms whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes, poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Hepatitis may be temporary (acute) or long term (chronic) depending on whether it lasts for less than or more than six months. Acute hepatitis can sometimes resolve on its own, progress to chronic hepatitis, or rarely result in acute liver failure. Over time the chronic form may progress to scarring of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer.
The most common cause of hepatitis worldwide is viruses. Other causes include heavy alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, other infections and autoimmune disease.
There are five main types of viral hepatitis: type A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis A and E are mainly spread by contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B is mainly sexually transmitted, but may also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth. Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are commonly spread through infected blood. Hepatitis D can only infect people already infected with hepatitis B.
Medically, Hepatitis A, B, and D are preventable with immunization. Medications may be used to treat chronic cases of viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis A generally does not progress to a chronic state and rarely requires hospitalization. Treatment is supportive and includes such measures as providing intravenous (IV) hydration and maintaining adequate nutrition.
Rarely, people with the hepatitis A virus can rapidly develop liver failure, especially the elderly and those who had a pre-existing liver disease, especially hepatitis C. Mortality risk factors include greater age and chronic hepatitis C. In these cases, more aggressive supportive therapy and liver transplant may be necessary.
Today there is colossal dread about Hepatitis, the rapidity at which it is thinning out and the cost of its treatment have infuse agonizing horror within the population; the world populace has surely suffered under the frightening factions of Hepatitis, currently, the spread of Hepatitis among South Sudanese is moving at an alarming rate.
With less attention given to it by the authorities concern such as the Ministry of Health and its partners in health like World Health Organization, people are left with nothing but just to swallow the bitter pills of Hepatitis both in its severe attack and expensive treatment.
Hepatitis is one of the diseases that have negatively affected most of the people today in South Sudan; Hepatitis has many itineraries of treatment beginning with testing, weekly treatment that goes on until “test negative” and finally the vaccination stage.
Hepatitis oblige the patients to deal away with the little resources at their possession and at the far end of those expenses, a patient might still have the same viruses’ percentages in his/her blood.
Hepatitis B has scared many in Juba because of its expensiveness in term of treatment and its wild dispersion.
As of current, for a patient to visit hepatitis treatment facility, he or she must secure over SSP 20,000 for the first round of the treatment and that payment goes on until the blood are free of viruses or until the patient give up, which is actually the repulsive face of hepatitis.
With no centers for vaccination and treatment, victims of that scary disease are left at the hand of few practitioners who excessively charge according to their own wish and will since most of the Health facilities send blood sample to abroad for screening and laboratory analysis.
The few practitioners in Juba have taken advantage of the situation and are now having cost advantage and uncompetitive space for performances.
Ministry of Health must put in much effort in order to bail out people from stress and physical torture cause by Hepatitis particular the B type.
Hepatitis is silently killing our people; an action is needed now before it is too late.
And the question remains, why are Hepatitis’ vaccinations and treatments privately owned in South Sudan?
Awuol Gabriel Arok, a Writer and a Poet, has a Bachelor Degree in Social and Developmental Studies from the University of Juba, South Sudan, he is the author of the unpublished book ‘‘The Wisdom Horn’’ and an Initiator of ‘‘Your Tribe is My Tribe’’ and ‘‘Giving Heart Foundation’’ initiatives. He can be reached via his email Address: jjmkamzeearokson@yahoo.com
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