Liver Disease: Transforming Health Through Evidence
In April, Dr. Tegwinde Rebeca Compaoré led an engaging session on liver disease as a critical yet often overlooked public health issue across Africa — where hepatitis B and C carry a major burden and most people do not know their status.
Here is what she presented, what the room asked, and what should happen next.
Featured research.
The session opened with data on RSV as one of the leading causes of hospitalization in infants and an under-recognized cause of severe respiratory illness among older adults and immunocompromised individuals.
Across Africa, hepatitis B and C carry a major health burden. Many people are unaware of their status, which drives ongoing transmission and severe complications that could have been prevented.
Meet the speaker.
Key insights from the session.
It supports metabolism, detoxification, and immune function — protecting your liver protects the systems that keep you alive.
Major gaps remain between research and real-world implementation, limiting the full impact of available solutions.
Screening lowers the risk of severe complications, reduces healthcare costs, improves quality of life, and is a better use of scarce healthcare resources.
Vaccination is recommended to begin within 24 hours after birth, followed by scheduled doses in infancy.
Sharing blades and syringes, and certain African traditional procedures such as scarification, can transmit the virus.
Treatment can cure hepatitis C in as little as three months with proper adherence and follow-up.
That underscores the need for locally developed vaccines tailored to regional virus strains.
Evidence on hepatitis burden and screening is available — but is often underutilized in practice.
Stronger screening programs, scalable local innovations, precision medicine, and the integration of AI and big data will close the gap between what is known and what is done.
Three questions from the room.
Does liver disease increase the risk of cancer? Yes — chronic hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver cancer, which makes regular monitoring essential.
Are screening and vaccination widely implemented? Newborn vaccination is common, but screening access remains limited in many areas — which drives late diagnosis.
Is Africa moving toward local vaccine production? There is growing interest and advocacy, but progress requires investment, infrastructure, and partnerships.
Three simple steps make the difference.
Get vaccinated
Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended within the first 24 hours after birth and continued on schedule through infancy.
Get tested regularly
Screening lowers the risk of severe complications and makes early treatment possible — hepatitis C can be cured in as little as three months.
Seek care early
If a test comes back positive, follow up promptly. Chronic hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver cancer, and monitoring keeps that risk in check.
Connaissez-vous votre statut vis-à-vis de l’hépatite ?
Taking this simple step could save your life — or the life of someone you care about.
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