World Hepatitis Day 2017 Celebration with HYSACAM Buea Sanitary Workers

This project focused on assessing the knowledge and risk perception of hepatitis B amongst HYSACAM MSWW, educating the workers on the Hepatitis B infection and status verification by rapid blood testing.

The project was carried out on the 28th of July 2017, commemorated of the WORLD HEPATITIS DAY with theme ‘ELIMINATE HEPATITIS’. Activities were carried at HYSACAM Buea.

General Objectives:

To assess knowledge, risk perception and determine prevalence and vaccine uptake for Hepatitis B amongst HYSACAM Municipal solid waste workers in the Buea Municipality

Specific:

1. To assess knowledge on the Hepatitis B in MSWW
2. To assess risk perception on Hepatitis B in MSWW
3. Determine prevalence of Hepatitis B amongst MSWW
4. Evaluate the vaccine uptake against hepatitis B amongst MSWW workers

Target Population

HYSACAM Solid waste workers /collectors in the Buea Municipality. The activities were performed in two phases.

First Phase

The HYSACAM workers assembled and were introduced to the project by a HERO team member without giving much detail about the hepatitis. Codes for identification given to each participant who voluntarily opted to take part in the project ensure privacy and confidentiality. Pre-test structured questionnaires were administered to the workers and the HERO Team guided them through the answering of each question. Each participant was identified only with the given codes. HERO Team then educated the workers with an elaborate talk on hepatitis and focusing more on Hepatitis B using the lay man language (Pidgin). This session was intersected with questions and answers from the workers and the team educator.

Second Phase

For each participant who voluntarily gave consent, sample of whole blood was aseptically collected and tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) using rapid assays according to manufacturer’s instructions. Proper discarding and destruction of samples was ensured. Results were given individually and privately. Participants who were positive for Hepatitis B were properly counselled and referred to the internist/Gastroenterologist for 6 months follow-up and re-testing to confirm chronicity and those who were negative were also counselled proposed the vaccine.

OUTCOME

Over 70 workers were present for this activity and answered the questionnaires. Fifty two of them voluntarily consented to screening and an average of 96 % of the workers were hepatitis B free. The contacts of the workers with positive results were privately collected for follow-up. The rest were proposed vaccination.

Conclusion

This project which was in commemoration of the world hepatitis day was a success. The subject was well received by the workers, who showed a lot of interest, by their participation in the discussions, as well as the brilliant questions they posed and answers they gave. We hope this same activity can be replicated in the other HYSACAM branches in Cameroon so together we can Eliminate hepatitis