Medical Virology

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Browsing Medical Virology by Author "Akiror, Connie S."

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    Hepatitis B virus infection as a neglected tropical disease
    (Public Library of Science, 2017-10-05) O'Hara, Geraldine A.; McNaughton, Anna L.; Maponga, Tongai; Jooste, Pieter; Ocama, Ponsiano; Chileng, Roma; Mokaya, Jolynne; Liyayi, Mitchell I.; Wachira, Tabitha; Gikungi, David M.; Burbridge, Lela; O'Donnel, Denise; Akiror, Connie S.; Sloan, Derek; Torimiro, Judith; Yindom, Louis Marie; Walton, Robert; Andersson, Monique; Marsh, Kevin; Newton, Robert; Matthews, Philippa C.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Global Hepatitis Health Sector Strategy is aiming for “elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat” by 2030 [1], while enhanced elimination efforts for hepatitis are also promoted under the broader remit of global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [2]. This is an enormous challenge for hepatitis B virus (HBV) given the estimated global burden of 260 million chronic carriers, of whom the majority are unaware of their infection [3] (Fig 1). We here present HBV within the framework for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) [4] in order to highlight the ways in which HBV meets NTD criteria and to discuss the ways in which the NTD management paradigm could be used to strengthen a unified global approach to HBV elimination [5]. The major burden of morbidity and mortality from HBV is now borne by tropical and subtropical countries [6]. Many African populations epitomize specific vulnerability to HBV [7], so we here focus particular attention on Africa, both through focus on the existing published literature and through presentation of a unique data set of opinion and experience (see S1 Supporting Information). However, the themes we represent are transferable to other low- and middle-income settings and are relevant on the global stage.