Professor Jesse Otegbayo, a medical expert specializing in Gastroenterology and Liver diseases at the College of Medicine University of Ibadan, emphasized the importance of addressing the spread of Hepatitis B to prevent liver cancer.

He highlighted that Hepatitis B is a dangerous virus that can cause liver damage silently and increase the risk of developing liver cancer. In his lecture titled ‘The Human Workhorse and Microbial Afflictions:

Hepatitis Its Fatal Sting and The Tragic Trajectory’, Otegbayo shared findings from a study on unremunerated blood donors at the university, which showed that scarification and indiscriminate injections are the most common ways HBV spreads.

The World Health Organization has reported that viral hepatitis is now the second leading infectious cause of death globally, resulting in 3,500 deaths per day and over a million deaths annually. Despite advancements in diagnosis and treatment, testing and treatment rates have stagnated, posing a challenge to meeting the WHO elimination goal by 2030.

Otegbayo stressed the importance of raising awareness about the risks of HBV and how it can be prevented. He emphasized the need to identify and prevent factors that facilitate HBV transmission to reduce the link between the virus and liver cancer. Various transmission methods of HBV were mentioned, such as sexual contact, unscreened blood products, dental procedures, surgeries with unsterilized equipment, and contact sports.

While the HBV vaccine is available and deemed safe and effective, its implementation and compliance in national immunization programs, including in Nigeria, has been low. Otegbayo highlighted low rates of newborn HBV immunization in Nigeria and emphasized the importance of healthcare workers getting vaccinated to protect themselves and reduce the risk of HBV infection.

“The vaccination rate among non-healthcare workers is then better imagined. I must however praise the efforts of the Students Union government of the University of Ibadan for the concerted efforts and measures it has put in place in the last few years to ensure that students are screened and immunised against HBV,” he stressed.

He claimed that there is sufficient evidence from successful methods and past instances that demonstrate that with proper action, the challenges related to HBV and liver cancer can be overcome.

The don stated, “In the Gambia, the smallest West African Country with a population of less than one and a half million human heads, and Taiwan, longitudinal studies with The institution of HBV immunisation have reduced the incidence of HBV infection as well as liver cancer.”

He emphasized the importance of preventing and treating liver cirrhosis in individuals with HBV by monitoring and providing treatment, as well as treating patients with chronic hepatitis to prevent the development of liver cirrhosis and ultimately liver cancer.

“Again, in Sub-Sahara Africa, hepatitis B virus is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis. There are genetic causes of HCC, and there is a need to explore the causes of death by autopsy, as studies have shown that liver cancer is more common among individuals with a family history of liver cancer, both in those with environmental risk factors like HBV and HCV and those without known environmental risk factors.

“Unfortunately, one of our studies has shown a drastic decline in autopsy rates in Ibadan,” Otegbayo mentioned.

He voiced concern about the population of Nigeria and its implications if immediate action is not taken.

“The World Bank Data, 2022, showed a high fertility rate in Nigeria, with an average of 5.2 births per woman, 102 births per 1000 of women aged between 15 and 19 years, and a population growth rate of 2.4 per cent, which is above the world average.

“Comparing the birth rate per woman in other African countries, Egypt (2.9), Ethiopia (4.2), Ghana (3.6), Senegal (4.4), and Sierra Leone (4), it is worthy of note that developed countries have less than 2 births per woman.

“Population explosion is imminent in Nigeria, and it will, needless to say, overwhelm and overstretch our healthcare system, thereby worsening our health indices.

“It is estimated that by 2050, Nigeria will have a population of 401 million people, larger than the United States of America. This is a ticking time bomb.”

“The managers of our healthcare system deserve a certain level of financial and training empowerment to be able to function optimally. Healthcare costs are expensive anywhere in the world.

“The Federal Government has also come out with a workable family planning blueprint, which is aimed at curbing the country’s population explosion. Nigeria, therefore has to address our primary healthcare system, institute universal healthcare and put in measures to control our population.”