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Seychelles commemorates world hepatitis day |28 July 2020

To commemorate world hepatitis day, the Aids control programme of the department of health, is conducting a one-day workshop today from 8.30am at the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles (Ceps) conference room to equip organisations that work closely with key population with additional knowledge and skills about viral hepatitis.

The workshop will impart additional knowledge to these organisations to reinforce their work with key population. A series of educational activities will also continue throughout the week.

Hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases that cause inflammation of the liver. If it remains untreated, it can cause permanent liver damage. The communicable disease control unit (CDCU) of the department of health of Seychelles, estimates that 1,255 people are currently living with viral hepatitis in the country, with 120 (90 male / 30 female) Hepatitis B and 1,135 (962 male / 173 female) Hepatitis C cases.

Fewer cases of Hepatitis B (HBV) was detected in first six months of 2020 than for the same period of 2019. A total of 14 people were reported as newly infected with HBV in the first six months of 2020, compared to 23 in 2019.

For Hepatitis C (HCV) the newly reported number of cases was 23 compared to 9 in the same period for 2019.

World Hepatitis Day is observed annually across the globe on July 28. This year, the occasion brings the world together through the theme ‘Hepatitis-free Future’ to scale-up prevention, testing and treatment of hepatitis B, prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C. Commemorations this year marks the end of the three-year campaign under the theme ‘Finding the missing millions’, launched by World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) in 2018 which emphasised that irrespective of gender, age group, ethnicity or geography, millions of people are living with viral hepatitis without being aware they are infected as most of the time they do not have any signs or symptoms.

 

Press release from the department of health

 

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