Examples from
around the world
Through the Find the Missing
Millions campaign, we are
highlighting best practice
and innovations in screening
and testing so that other
organisations can learn
and develop their national
activities. Each month we
profile a successful diagnosis
initiative in hepVoice. This
month, we are highlighting the
efforts of WHA member Beacon
Youth Initiative (BYI) in Nigeria.
Engaging with the
community in Nigeria
Over the past six years, BYI
has conducted a number
of hepatitis programmes,
engaging with policy makers,
private companies and other
civil society organisations
to raise awareness of viral
hepatitis, scale up screening
and vaccinations, and to
offer training to healthcare
workers. In recent months
they’ve turned their attention
to finding the missing
millions, seeking to increase
diagnosis through community
engagement.
Nigeria has one of the highest
hepatitis B burdens in the
world. An estimated 25 million
people live with the disease,
equalling 11% of the country’s
population. Sadly a large
proportion of those living with
this silent killer are unaware,
due to low awareness and the
high costs of diagnosis and
treatment.
In early February, BYI partnered
with Doctors on the Move Africa,
ZK Medical Konsults LTD and
Federal Medical Centre Abuja to
host a hepatitis programme in
Zuba, on the outskirts of Abuja.
A previous needs
assessment
conducted in
the community
found that over
96% of Zuba
residents lacked
basic knowledge
on viral
hepatitis. As a
result, many of
those living with
the disease in
the area remain
undiagnosed
and turn to ineffective
alternative treatments to help
alleviate symptoms. According
to BYI, the region’s vaccination
programme is also ineffective
because of low availability and
the poor storage of vaccines.
BYI and their partners started
organising the programme by
contacting community leaders
in Zuba through an advocacy
and sensitization visit,
mobilising
the local
community ahead of the
programme to ensure high
attendance.
On the day of the programme
itself, BYI and their partners
offered hepatitis B vaccines,
hepatitis B and C screening
and testing, and distributed
condoms to encourage safe
sexual practices. Throughout
the day they also educated
the local population on
viral hepatitis. Overall, they
engaged with over 300
beneficiaries mostly between
the ages of 7 and 87.
One of the more interesting
outcomes of the day was
increased willingness from
community leaders to take
action for increased diagnoses
in their community. At the
same time, BYI also identified
an increased demand for
services on viral hepatitis from
the local population pushing
for action from the other
side. True to BYI’s goal to find
the missing millions, the day
resulted in 98% of beneficiaries
knowing their hepatitis B and C
status for the first time ever.
“96% of Zuba residents
lacked basic knowledge on
viral hepatitis. As a result,
many of those living with
the disease in the area
remain undiagnosed”
www.facebook.com/BeaconYouthInitiative
12 hep Voice FEBRUARY 2019
hep Voice
FEBRUARY 2019 13