Citizens told to get tested, vaccinated against Hepatitis

JUBA – South Sudan’s health minister on Monday urged citizens to get tested and vaccinated for hepatitis B and C, warning of the deadly consequences of the disease.

Yolanda Awel Deng said during World Hepatitis Day celebrations in Juba that the virus was a major health and economic burden in the country.

“The message to the public that has been said, I’m just going to repeat it. Get tested to know your status. Get treated if you get tested positive and vaccinate if you get tested negative,” Awel said.

She added that the government would improve prevention and treatment through vaccination programs, awareness campaigns, and increased access to antiviral therapies.

“It is important, you know, to get vaccinated after you know your status. Because if you, some individual will say, no, I’ll just go and buy a vaccine anyway and I just get vaccinated. What if you already have the virus in your body, you will be introducing a virus already active in your body. And then you are going to have fatal consequences. Most likely to end up in death,” Awel said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in South Sudan, Dr. Mutale Nsakashalo Senkwe, said hepatitis remained a major health problem in the country and the region.

“WHO urges countries to take advantage of effective preventive and treatment tools that address this high burden. An effective vaccine and treatment for hepatitis B as well as a cure for hepatitis C exist, and as such, we have to make use of these,” Nsakashalo said.

Approximately 1 million people, or 10% of the population, are living with chronic hepatitis B and C, according to the health ministry.