Hepatitis E taking toll on Bentiu IDPs:report
A report from the international medical humanitarian organization, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has revealed an increase in cases of hepatitis E among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bentiu.
It linked the outbreak to poor hygiene in the camp.
Speaking to The City Review yesterday, the Deputy Medical Coordinator, Jetske Dunker, said there is already a vaccination campaign to save lives and educate citizens about the acute liver infection that is usually transmitted by drinking contaminated water.
The outbreak has already resulted in the deaths of 13 people.
Dunker said cases of Hepatitis E have been escalating since July 2021, and more than 600 cases have been reported in its health facilities.
“There have been cases of hepatitis E in Bentiu since 2014, and that has been going on all those years, but lately we have seen an increase in cases since July 2021,” Dunker revealed.
Dunker said, ‘‘667 patients have been confirmed with hepatitis E and 13 of them died’’.
Situation deteriorating
‘‘And then, since the beginning of this year, it has been ongoing like that, and that is why we are very worried. We have even seen a person die of hepatitis E every week, which is why we are very worried about the situation there.”
Hepatitis E is caused by a virus that infects the liver. It is especially harmful to pregnant women because it can cause severe liver failure and death. Its symptoms can be managed, but there is no cure.
MSF said they are scaling up vaccination and awareness campaigns in Bentiu to control the spread of Hepatitis E.
On Tuesday, March 22, 2022, the Ministry of Health and MSF began the first round of hepatitis E vaccinations, which ended on March 30.
The second and third doses will be available in the coming months. Dunker said this was the first time this vaccine has been used in a large immunisation effort, and it is being administered amid an active hepatitis E outbreak.
The Hepatitis E virus, like cholera, spreads in situations with poor sanitation and contaminated water.
She added that vaccination would help minimise morbidity and mortality among camp residents.
“What is very important to know is that even though we are doing this vaccination campaign, which is a new thing, we really hope to see a very good benefit for the population by reducing morbidity and mortality.
‘‘But we also know that this is not the only way. There is also a need for an approach from multiple angles, so not just vaccination but also better water and sanitation,’’ he said.
The Director-General for Preventive Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. John Rumunu, said efforts have been made to improve the state of sanitation through coordination with key line ministries.
“We initiated the coordination through having a task force for the hepatitis E virus in the country led by the Ministry of Health with the membership of line ministries in charge of water, sanitation, and hygiene, and the health cluster, and, of course, the overall humanitarian response, so there is a robust coordination for the different sector,” Rumunu explained.
Dr. Rumunu said the cases of hepatitis E started increasing in 2014 in Bentiu at the IDP camp located in Rubkona County, Unity State. However, since then, there has been sustained transmission within the camp, with several cases spanning more than a year.
“The data I have from 2018 tells us that in 2018, we had 157 cases, in 2019 we had 130 cases, in 2020 we had 277 cases, and in 2021 the number rose to 1143 mostly within the camp,” he said.
