By Isatou Sar
Health experts in The Gambia have warned of a worrying rise in hepatitis B-related liver complications among young people, despite years of vaccination efforts aimed at reducing the spread of the disease.
The warning was issued on Monday during activities marking World Hepatitis Day, where researchers and clinicians highlighted persistent challenges in vaccination coverage, early detection and access to treatment.
Bakary Dibba, Research Coordinator of the MRC Hepatitis Research Group, said chronic liver disease, which was previously more common among older adults, is increasingly being diagnosed among younger Gambians.
He said hepatitis B remains one of the country’s leading causes of chronic liver disease, noting that the growing number of severe cases among people below the age of 30 raises questions about the effectiveness and reach of immunisation programmes.
“If vaccination coverage had reached everyone, we should not be seeing these complications in younger age groups,” Dibba said.
He identified limited public awareness, inadequate knowledge among some healthcare workers, stigma, misinformation, delayed diagnosis, unequal access to testing and treatment, and missed opportunities to vaccinate newborns as some of the major barriers affecting hepatitis elimination efforts.
However, Dibba said The Gambia has made significant progress in addressing hepatitis B through the Ministry of Health’s National Hepatitis Control Programme.
“Here in The Gambia we have every reason to be optimistic as well. Over the past years, remarkable progress has been achieved under the leadership of the Ministry of Health’s National Hepatitis Control Programme, especially when it comes to Hepatitis B,” he said.
Dr. Sheikh Omar Bittaye, a specialist at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital Liver Clinic, said the health system continues to face a heavy burden from hepatitis-related liver diseases.
He said the clinic records more than 100 new liver cancer cases annually, while over 2,000 people have died from liver-related complications linked to hepatitis B and C since 2012.
Dr. Bittaye said hepatitis affects people across social and economic backgrounds, stressing the need for increased investment in prevention, screening and treatment services.
“I have seen relatives dying of this disease at the hospital, and it is not like we cannot prevent this—we can,” he said. “The main culprit is actually Hepatitis B, and the prevalence is about 10 percent in The Gambia, meaning that nearly every family has someone living with Hepatitis B.”
The experts called for stronger vaccination programmes, improved public education, wider access to testing and timely treatment as key measures to reduce hepatitis-related deaths and support global efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat.
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