Related Experiment Videos
Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in sub-Saharan Africa
Valsa Madhava1, Christine Burgess, Ernest Drucker
1Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York 10467, USA. vmadhava@montefiore.org
Insights
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health concern, with Sub-Saharan Africa showing high prevalence. Further investigation into iatrogenic transmission routes is crucial due to low sexual transmission and infrequent IV drug use.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide.
- An estimated 170 million people globally are chronically infected.
- Sub-Saharan Africa faces a significant HCV burden, exacerbated by a concurrent HIV epidemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and estimate the prevalence of HCV in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- To identify regional variations in HCV prevalence within Sub-Saharan Africa.
- To highlight potential transmission routes requiring further investigation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of published literature on HCV prevalence in Africa.
- Estimation of overall and regional HCV prevalence rates.
- Analysis of transmission factors in the Sub-Saharan African context.
Main Results:
- Consistent evidence of high HCV prevalence across many African countries was found.
- The estimated overall HCV prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.0%.
- Central Africa shows the highest prevalence (6%), followed by West Africa (2.4%), and Southern/East Africa (1.6%).
Conclusions:
- HCV remains a significant public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Substantial regional disparities in HCV prevalence exist within the continent.
- Iatrogenic transmission is a likely significant factor, necessitating further evaluation given low rates of sexual and parenteral (drug use) transmission.
Abstract:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease in the world. The WHO estimates that 3% (170 million) of the world's population are chronically infected with HCV. Sub-Saharan Africa is of great interest because it is reported to have the highest HCV prevalence rate (5.3%), and a concurrent HIV epidemic. In our review of the published literature we found consistent evidence of high HCV prevalence in many countries of Africa. We estimate the overall prevalence of HCV in Sub-Saharan Africa is 3.0%. The central African region has the highest estimated prevalence of 6%, west Africa has an estimated prevalence of 2.4%, and southern and east Africa with the lowest estimated prevalence of 1.6%. Given low sexual transmission of HCV and infrequency of intravenous drug use in Sub-Saharan Africa, iatrogenic causes of HCV transmission need to be further evaluated.