Infectious Hepatitis B Negatively Impacts Lifestyles of Affected Individuals in Ejura-Sekyedumasi District of Ghana
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EAS Journal of Parasitology and Infectious Diseases Abbreviated Key Title: EAS J Parasitol Infect Dis ISSN: 2663-0982 (Print) & ISSN: 2663-6727 (Online) Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya Volume-2 | Issue-5 | Sep-Oct 2020 | DOI: 10.36349/easjpid.2020.v02i05.002 Research Article Infectious Hepatitis B Negatively Impacts Lifestyles of Affected Individuals in Ejura-Sekyedumasi District of Ghana Benjamin Makimilua Tiimub1*, Beloved Mensah Dzomeku3, Gideon Likida Tiimob4, Richard Tandoh2, Ernestina Laatman Tiimob5, Foster Dokin Nyapkaab6, Joan Jackline Agyenta7, Isaac Baani2 and Elisha Nyannube Tiimob8 1Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China 2Department of Environmental Health and Sanitation Education, Faculty of Environment and Health Education, University of Education, Winneba, Ashanti-Mampong Campus, Ghana. 3Principal Research Scientist, Crops Research Institute, CSIR, Fumesua, Kumasi, Ghana 4Public Health Specialist (CE4MCH- Supervisory Section), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Tamale, Ghana. 5Business Senior High School (BISCO), Tamale, N/R, Ghana 6Northern Business Senior High School (NOBISCO), Tamale, N/R, Ghana 7Nibrasiya Islamic Basic School, GES, Techiman, Bono East Region, Ghana 8Department of Ports and Shipping, Regional Maritime University, Nungua-Greater Accra Region, Ghana Abstract: Infectious hepatitis b virus (HBV), currently a common disease of the world is Article History entangling over two billion susceptible individuals intimated with ≥ 400 million chronicity Received: 03.10.2020 cases. HBV induces higher mortality, morbidity, financial burden, constituting major global Accepted: 22.10.2020 Published: 30.10.2020 health threat to any human race. Previous studies hinted that high prevalence of HBV infections in Ghana, negatively affect individuals and communities at large. This timely Journal homepage: case study purposively cross-examined the impact of HBV on individual patients and https://www.easpublisher.com/easjpid community as a whole at the Ejura-Sekyedumasi district hospital. The designed survey involved 36 randomly selected HBV infected patients been pooled from hospital records to Quick Response Code willingly offer information under purposive sampling technique using already pretested questionnaires that scored ≥ 95% veridicality. The findings revealed deleterious effects of HBV by juxtaposing percentage infection, morbidity, debilitation rates on the reduced living standards among patients which specifically engrossed: obnoxious stigmatization (50- 61.1%); inability to [afford three square meals (≥ 55.6%); pay utility bills (≥ 69.4%); save money (≥ 80.6%); pay medical bills (≥ 58.4%)]; risk of dismissal from work (≥ 61.1%); poor relationships and neglect (41.7% and 13.9%); ineffective participation in community functions (≥ 58.3%); and fear of cross infection (≥ 94.4%). The study recommends joint actions of religious bodies, healthcare service providers, public health education advocates elucidating causes, effects, early screening and vaccination interventions against HBV. State media institutions should be educating communities on proper management of HBV while reproaching neglect and stigmatisation, projecting pre-marital counselling or screening to counteract the disease. Keywords: Ejura-Sekyedumasi, Hepatitis B, Infection, Community health, Education. Copyright © 2020 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION causes liver inflammation, vomiting, jaundice and in The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) belonging to the most cases death [2]. Chronic hepatitis B may hepadnavirus family, is a small circular DNA virus eventually cause liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. containing an enveloped nucleocapsid that contains a Hepatitis B virus primarily interferes with the functions relatively small and incompletely double stranded 3.2 of the liver by replicating itself in the liver cells, known Kb DNA genome, viral polymerase and core protein as hepatocytes. Hepatitis B virus spreads faster than the [1]. Its envelope is composed of viral surface proteins human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes enclosed with a lipid membrane from host cells. In the AIDS [2]. serum of infected patients, there are both mature virions with viral DNA and sub-viral particles without viral Transmission of hepatitis B virus cross DNA. The HBV infection is deleterious illness which infection results from exposure to infectious blood and damages the liver of hominodea, including humans, and body fluids containing blood, sexual contact, blood causes an inflammation called hepatitis. Acute illness transfusion, re-use of contaminated needles and *Corresponding Author: Benjamin Makimilua Tiimub 60 Benjamin Makimilua Tiimub et al., EAS J Parasitol Infect Dis; Vol-2, Iss-5 (Sep-Oct, 2020): 60-76 syringes and vertical transmission from mother to child highly endemic countries of sub-Saharan Africa with during childbirth [3]. Without intervention, a mother more than 8% of the population suspected to harbour who is positive for hepatitis B confers about 20% risk chronic infection which has the potential to rapidly of passing the infection to her off spring at the time of spread [5, 11, 3]. Results from a few Ghanaian studies birth and the risk is as high as 90% if the mother is also have supported this hypothesis: the prevalence of HBV positive to HBV [4, 5]. Hepatitis B virus can be surface antigen (HBsAg), a marker of chronic HBV transmitted between family members within household infection, ranged from 6 to 15% among blood donors possibly by contact of non-intact skin or mucus when HBV screening was earlier introduced among membrane with secretions or saliva containing hepatitis selected populations in Ghana and monitored through B virus although; at least 30% of reported hepatitis B various updated clinical reports [14, 7, 4, 13]. Among among adults cannot be associated with an identifiable the medical students and health workers, prevalence of risk factor [2]. HBsAg was previously detected (ranged from 8 to 11%) and was very common among blood donors in Sierra Adults’ hepatitis B virus prevalence is Leone and Ghana [15, 16, 7]. In regions of high estimated between 12-18% in Ghana [6]. The endemicity, HBV is mainly contracted at birth or during prevalence of hepatitis B virus co-infection has been early childhood [17]. The development of chronic HBV around 17% in Kumasi (hepatitis B virus positive infection occurs in approximately 90% of persons cohort), whereby about 95% of the infections are due to infected perinatally, 30% infected in early childhood genotype E, and 74% of co-infected patients are HBsAg and 6% infected after 5 years of age [18]. Persons with negative [7]. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) chronic HBV infection have a 15–25% risk of dying technique is the most frequently used to screen for the prematurely in adulthood from HBV related cirrhosis presence of the infection. It is the first detectable viral and hepatocellular carcinoma, and acutely infected antigen to appear during infection [8]. According to a individuals occasionally succumb to fulminant liver study in two Gambian villages, it showed that, failure [17]. Like HIV, people who are infected with the horizontal transmission is predominant in Africa of virus are stigmatized. In some cases, they are expelled which 10% mothers tested positive to HBsAg [9]. from work. This invariably affects productivity to the Infection is not common within first year of extent of affecting their finances to access quality life. medical care. In some parts of the world, some hepatitis 50% of the children are affected by the age of B patients have complained of having problem with five. finances which eventually impacts negatively on their By age ten, almost everybody is infected, (15- living standards [19]. It is against this background that 20%) been chronic careers [10]. this study investigated the socio-economic impact of hepatitis B from community-based hospital diagnostic Several vaccines have been developed by records of infected individuals who were identified to scientists for the prevention of hepatitis B infection. be receiving medical attention at the Ejura Hospital in They rely on the use of the one viral envelope proteins the Ashanti Region of Ghana. (HBsAg) for the vaccination against the hepatitis B virus [11]. Acute hepatitis B infection does not usually Problem identified and justification and purpose of require treatment because most adults clear the the study infection spontaneously [5]. On the other hand, For the past few years, some hepatitis B treatment of chronic infection may be necessary to infected persons have complained of stigmatization and reduce the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Although lack of financial support from family members and none of the available drugs can clear the infections, they other people in endemic communities [20]. That is the can stop the virus replication [2]. Increased liver more reason why there was the need to conduct a cirrhosis related death which is caused by hepatitis B tailored study to assess the impact of hepatitis B on an and hepatitis C infection is becoming alarming in Ejura- individual patient and the community