By Patrick Okino
The Ministry of Health has raised concern over the high prevalence of Hepatitis B and deaths associated with the disease in the Lango Sub-region.
Health officials say that despite the launch of Hepatitis B vaccination in 2022, prevalence in the Greater North remains high at 4.6 percent—equivalent to about five people in every 100.
Dr. Charles Oyoo Akiya, Commissioner for Non-Communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Health, warned that untreated Hepatitis B can progress to serious complications, including liver cancer.
“Remember, some of this progresses to a fully blown disease such as liver cancer,” Dr. Akiya said.
He was addressing key stakeholders attending the Regional Health Assembly, also known as the Joint Review Mission, hosted by Lira Regional Referral Hospital at Gracious Palace in Lira City.
The two-day assembly brought together Chief Administrative Officers, District Health Officers, development partners, health facility in-charges, LC5 chairpersons and Resident District Commissioners, among other stakeholders.
The meeting is aimed at reviewing health sector performance, identifying challenges and strengthening coordination among stakeholders to improve health outcomes across the region.
Dr Oyo said many people are dying from the disease, making it a major concern across the Greater North. Although some regions have a low prevalence, there are also areas where HIV prevalence is rising, while Hepatitis B cases are also increasing.
According to Uganda Hepatitis B Cascade, National Performance 2025/2026 a total of 2,771,521 were tested and 12,324 found to be positive.
Regional Prevalence are West Nile 3.8%, Mid North 4.6%, North-East 4.5%, Central 2.2%, Kampala 1.9%, Mid-East 2.1%, East-Central 2.7%, South-West 0.8% and Mid-West 1.8%.
Dureen Ruth Akuno, Senior Nursing Officer and Focal Point Person for Hepatitis B, said Hepatitis B testing and vaccination among adults remains a challenge.
She said that under the strategic plans developed and disseminated by the Ministry of Health, the focus of Hepatitis B vaccination is primarily on adults through prevention of mother-to-child transmission.
“For adults, the Ministry is focusing on mother-to-child transmission prevention. For the general population and key populations, we are focusing on testing and treatment,” Akuno said.
She explained that the focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission is informed by the realization that most people who progress to chronic Hepatitis B infection acquire the virus from their mothers at birth.
“When you are an adult and you get infected, there is a 92 percent chance that you will not progress to chronicity because your body is able to fight the infection,” she said.
“However, babies have low immunity and are more likely to progress to chronic infection if they are not managed,” she added.
“The Ministry is looking at screening the general population for hepatitis, even though the current focus remains on key populations such as people who inject drugs, sex workers, healthcare workers, the Army and the Police.
These are the people we are focusing on. When they come to the facility, we have to screen them and then vaccinate them,” she noted while making a presentation to the Assembly on September 9.
She added that, in the upcountry areas where the prevalence of hepatitis is high, there are few civil society organisations (CSOs) coming up with innovations to support the Ministry in advocating for the disease, unlike sickle cell disease, which has attracted support from several partners.
“Even if people who test positive start very well with the first dose, as they progress, they miss out on the drugs and get lost,” she said.
Sr. Hellen Angom of Lira Regional Referral Hospital said Hepatitis C is rapidly emerging as a serious health threat and may now be killing more people than Hepatitis B, calling for urgent action to save lives.
“Hepatitis C used not to be there, but now it is coming up at a very high rate. We have so far referred three patients with the problem to Mulago National Referral Hospital, and they have liver cancer,” she said.
“Let us be serious wherever we go. This is not a laughing matter because when you continue moving out recklessly, you risk contracting the disease,” she noted.
Oyam LC5 Chairperson Nelson Adea Akar Mogo Amoga Narocas said Hepatitis B is rampant in the district, particularly along the River Nile in the Atura area.
He said about seven people have succumbed to the disease after exhibiting similar symptoms.
According to Adea, the disease has become a silent killer, calling on leaders to intensify advocacy and sensitisation efforts to protect communities from the deadly disease.