Alarm as cases of Hepatitis B rise in Baringo

The Ministry of Health marked World Hepatitis Day in Marigat, Baringo County to create awareness of a disease that the community has associated with witchcraft leading to an upsurge.

The County has recorded 700 cases of hepatitis virus in the areas of Mogotio, Marigat, Majimoto, Sandai and Baringo North listed as the most endemic areas of the disease.

Florence Kiprono aged 56 and a mother of five from Marigat is among the 700 people who have contracted the virus.

 Its upsurge has been associated with cultural beliefs.

"Sisi tumekua tunajua hii ugonjwa ni urogi na inasemekana hio urogi unabebwa na kucha like mtu akikukuta unakula, anakuwekea kwa chakula. Sasa nimekua nikishangaa nilitembelea mkutano gani au sherehe gani," Kiprop said.

MOH held the event ahead of World Hepatitis Day annually on July 28th in Marigat to sensitize the community on the disease that can spread through contact with infected body fluids like blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen.

Joseph Kemboi from Majimoto in Mogotio Constituency is another Hepatitis B survivor who said he has witnessed people in his village succumb to the disease.

The underage are not spared either which has sent worries to many residents of the area. In 2018 when there was an outbreak of the disease, the county was forced to do a mass screening but a shortage of vaccines and lack of funds towards the disease has led to a new upsurge.

"A scientific approach to treatment of the disease is what we need. So we need to send out the right messages out there so that we demystify the myths out there when the facts have not gone out," said Dr. Ibrahim Sumukwo.

"We have a prevalence of 10 per cent which we consider a bit high to the Kenyan standards because the prevalence is about 8 per cent and the world prevalence is about 6 per cent," added  Baringo County health CEC Solomon.

The other counties with a high burden of the virus are Turkana and Migori.