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Hepatitis cases on the decline

ABU DHABI - A total of 417 Hepatitis A cases were reported in the UAE in the year 2000, with an incidence rate (IR) of 13.4 per 100,000 population, compared to 742 cases with an IR of 25.3 per 100,000 population in 1999. Nationals accounted for 47.96 per cent of the total cases.

The most affected age group was from five to 14 years with an IR of 43.7 per 100,000. The incidence has decreased in older age-group, while the children in the age group of one to four years reported an IR of 22 per 100,000, according to the 'Annual Report 2000', issued recently by the Preventive Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has chosen July 16 as the International Hepatitis Day.

According to the report, 1,028 cases of Hepatitis B with an IR of 33.1 per 100,000 population, were reported in the country in 2000 compared to 1,074 cases with an IR of 36.5 per 100.000 in 1999.

The UAE citizens constituted 39.1 per cent of the total cases of Hepatitis B registered in the country during 2000, said the report. It said that most affected age-group was from 15 to 24 years with an age specific incidence of 47.7 per 100,000, followed by the age-group of 25 to 35 years with an IR of 42.0 per 100,000.

Concerning Hepatitis C, the report said that in 2000, 214 cases with an IR of 6.9 per 100,000 were reported in the country against 120 cases of 4.1 per 100,000 IR in the previous year. The age-group mostly affected ranged from 25 to 34 years with IR of 10.2 per 100,000.

Nationals constituted 59.8 per cent of the total cases of Hepatitis C in the year 2000, said the report. It mentioned that concerned authorities have decided to exclude positive Hepatitis B cases detected among expatriates during screening so that the IR could reflect the indigenous viral hepatitis.

In 1999 and 2000, the native IR reported were 66.2 per 100,000 and 53.7 per 100,000 respectively. On the nature of the disease, the report explained that Hepatitis A virus is a self-limiting disease that usually spreads through food or water contaminated by faeces of an infected person.

Prevention and control of transmission depend mainly in maintaining acceptable standards of sanitation and good hygiene.

Hepatitis B, meanwhile, which accounts for about 20 per cent of all viral hepatitis infections, spreads through blood transfusion, sexual intercourse and perinatal route and might develop liver cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma, said the report.

It said that Hepatitis C had hereditary transmission although instances of enteric transmission were documented.

This type of the disease, which infects infants, children and young adults is mild, often subclinical but may be followed by prolonged viraemia.

About the national plan adopted by the ministry to contain the spread of Hepatitis B in the UAE, the report said in 1991 recombinant DNA Hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in the National Immunisation Programme and targeted all newborns, as well as the group at higher risk.

By the year 2000, vaccination coverage for all newborns with Hepatitis B was estimated at 96 per cent.

The national programme also included vaccination of new school entrants, which commenced in 1992 while catch-up immunisation of students was undertaken in 2000 and covered all students between 12 to 18 years, said the report.

It said the plan was successful in interrupting transmission of the Hepatitis B and reducing the frequency of occurrence of acute viral hepatitis in the country, with view of minimising the impact of the disease in general and reducing chronic carriage and long-term sequelae.

In 2001, the total number of viral hepatitis reported in the country, according to the Preventive Medicine Bulletin, was 465 including 283 cases of Hepatitis B, 119 Hepatitis A and 63 cases of Hepatitis C.

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