Race to find cure for deadly Hepatitus B Virus

THE World Health Organisation says collaboration between global health partners to discover a cure for the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) has shown promising results.

In a statement released in Abuja yesterday ahead of the World Hepatitis Day, marked annually on July 28, the WHO said 50 new anti- HBV and hepatitis D virus treatments were being investigated, and that 17 of them were undergoing phase II clinical trials.

It said, however, that a major challenge was finding an approach which would reach the viral reservoir in the liver, a major factor in finding a cure.

While it was not possible to give a precise time-line of when a cure would be found, hope of finding one was strong.

“In 2016, global partners joined forces to create the International Coalition to Eliminate Hepatitis B with the aim of fast-tracking the discovery of a cure for HBV.... in April 2018 members reported on encouraging development towards an HBV cure.“While a vaccine to prevent HBV exists, lifelong treatment is needed .... In addition, even with ongoing treatment, people are still at risk of developing liver cancer, particularly those with under- lying cirrhosis due to chronic HBV.”

The WHO said that HBV continued to take a huge human and economic toll on countries as it affected more people and remained the most deadly type of hepatitis.

HBV caused more than 887 000 deaths every year, while about 257 million people were chronically infected with HBV. – Washington Post