Chronic viral hepatitis: policy, regulation, and strategies for its control and elimination in Ethiopia

Hepatitis B and C are silent killers not yet recognized as major public health challenges in many developing countries with huge disease burden. In Ethiopia, Hepatitis B is endemic with an average prevalence of 10.8 %, and the prevalence of Hepatitis C is 2 %. The prevalence of both infections, however, is likely to be underreported due to the lack of diagnostic facilities and appropriate surveillance systems. Ethiopia is also among the many Sub-Sahara African countries lacking a coordinated and systematic national response to chronic viral hepatitis. The objective of this study is to examine the current level of response to viral Hepatitis B & C in Ethiopia with the aim to bring identified gaps to the attention of relevant stakeholders and policy makers.

This cross-sectional qualitative study was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 21 key informants from health facilities, health offices, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory bodies, professional association and blood bank units. Participants were selected purposively based on their role in the national hepatitis response. The investigators also reviewed available policy and strategy documents, standards of practice and surveys, and paid visits to pharmaceutical premises to check the availability of antiviral drugs. Thematic analysis was employed to make sense of the data. During the data analysis process, all the authors critically read the materials, and data was triangulated by source, interpreter view and thematic perspective to ensure accurate representation and comprehensiveness, and validation of the interviewees' responses. Once each investigator reviewed the data independently, the team reached a common understanding of the scope and contexts of the information attained. Data were subsequently reduced to key concepts, and case stories were taken with successive revisions. The key concepts were later coded into most basic meaningful categories. The World Health Organization (WHO) global hepatitis response framework was used to organize the analysis.

Ethiopia is in the process of preparing strategic plan and guidelines for viral hepatitis. However, the country still lacks the required partnerships, and resource mobilization as a national health response is limited. Community awareness on the disease transmission and its sequel is poor. Viral hepatitis screening services are not widely available except for the occasional mandatory medical checkups for work or travel purposes. Healthcare providers often take no further action after diagnosing patients with viral hepatitis due to lack of treatment guidelines and strategic frameworks for screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Besides, drugs that are effective in the treatment of viral hepatitis are not available, mainly due to regulatory challenges.

Viral hepatitis and its disease burden are getting little attention in Ethiopia and many low-income countries. The levels of technical guidance and financial support from the international community are low. To date, the response to the infections in Ethiopia is patchy. Thus, the country needs to formulate policy and strategies in the areas of disease surveillance, risk group identification and screening, use of the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine, and care and treatment. Improving availability of data on viral hepatitis, access to low-cost generic drugs and developing and dissemination of treatment guidelines are also critical. Leveraging the successful Health Extension Program for a hepatitis response, and exploring ways to learn from and integrate into the HIV/AIDS program should also be considered.