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. 2022 Jan;94(1):7-10.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.27330. Epub 2021 Sep 18.

Viral hepatitis amidst COVID-19 in Africa: Implications and recommendations

Syeda Kanza Kazmi  1 , Fatima Muhammad Asad Khan  1 , Valentino Natoli  2 , Reem Hunain  3 , Zarmina Islam  1 , Ana Carla Dos Santos Costa  4 , Shoaib Ahmad  5 , Mohammad Yasir Essar  6
Affiliations

Viral hepatitis amidst COVID-19 in Africa: Implications and recommendations

Syeda Kanza Kazmi et al. J Med Virol. 2022 Jan.

Abstract

Hepatitis, a significant cause of mortality worldwide, results in around 1.34 million deaths each year globally. Africa is not exempt from the plague of Hepatitis. Around 100 million estimated individuals are infected with Hepatitis B or C. Egypt has the highest prevalence of cases of Hepatitis followed by Cameroon and Burundi. The continent is severely affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the virus has added an additional burden on the already fragile continent. With the pandemic, it is presumable that Hepatitis like other viral diseases will pose a threat to collapsing healthcare system. Therefore, for Africa to become more resilient in the face of such menaces, including Hepatitis, further prevention policies are required to be implemented.

Keywords: coronavirus; hepatitis A virus; hepatitis B virus; hepatitis C virus; virus classification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

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