Polygamy increases Hepatitis B risk in South Sudan – Doctor

A lecturer at the School of Medicine at the University of Juba has warned polygamy marriages pose a high Hepatitis B risk in South Sudan, citing its sexual transmission.

Dr Garang Dakjur has projected around 2 million people may be living with Hepatitis B disease in the country.

Dr Dakjur has based his estimation on the 2010 Household Survey which indicated that some states had a disease prevalence of 57% while others had a rate of 26%.

He says the disease prevalence puts South Sudan at a high peak with the Central African Republic.

Dr. Dakjur attributed the rise to polygamous marriages.

The Medic made the remarks in an event in Juba dubbed: Academic Half Day on Viral Hepatitis Symposium organized by the Department of Internal Medicine at Juba Teaching Hospital.

“If you see this prevalence and you calculate our population, you will find that around 2 million South Sudanese are living with Hepatitis B Virus and this is a public health issue,” said Dr Dakjur.

He said, “According to the classification, South Sudan is classified to be one of the high-risk countries with Hepatitis B,” he said.

“You can see from the data, South Sudan is only competing Central African Republic in terms of the prevalence and if you look into our cultures. We know that Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease.

“I tried to look at the household for a health survey that was done in 2010. I found that South Sudan is the most polygamous country in Africa. Some States have gone high up to 57% and some States are as low as 26%”.

Dr Dakjur warns that the rate of prevalence of the disease can escalate and calls on the policymakers to scale up efforts in its prevention.

“With this high polygamy, it tells us that South Sudan is still in trouble because Hepatitis is a sexually transmitted disease and if you see for example, 57% of the families are polygamous in Lakes State. In years to come, if there is no intervention, Hepatitis B will be running in families,” he said.

“I brought to the attention of our audience and the attention of our policymakers in the country, that was in 2010 but if you do another survey now, you will get this prevalence a bit higher”.

On her part, Dr. Harriet Pasquale, Director General for Medical Services at the Ministry of Health emphasizes the need for the treatment of Hepatitis.

Dr. Harriet who is also the Acting Undersecretary urged the need to invest in the treatment of the disease, saying many people can’t afford the medication.

“We have wasted a lot of time, now we have reached a level whereby we have to put a lot of emphasis on how best we can treat the cases of Hepatitis in South Sudan,’ said Dr Harriet.

“Most of the cases are among those who cannot afford to buy the treatment for Hepatitis,” she said.

“Treatment for Hepatitis is very expensive in South Sudan and many are not able to access it.

“I just want to encourage that; we have to join hands together and invest in trying to address the issue of Hepatitis in South Sudan”.

In 2020, former Health Minister Elizabeth Acuei Yol described “Hepatitis as a public health threat in South Sudan adding that the viral disease B comprised over 80% of the hepatitis burden.

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. The infection can be acute or chronic.

Hepatitis B can cause a chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.