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Ammon News - by Pascale Müller/ Jordan Times

AMMAN — Something as regular as sharing a cup of coffee with a friend who has hepatitis A can be enough to contract the disease, according to health experts, who also noted that awareness among Jordanians about this risk is very low.

The lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence of hepatitis is another obstacle hindering efforts to fight the disease, hepatologist and spokesperson of the Friends of the Liver Disease Patients Society Maissam Akroush, told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of a fundraising cycling event recently organised by the society.

The last survey, carried out by the Ministry of Health in 2011, estimates the prevalence of the hepatitis C virus in Jordan at 0.42 per cent among all age groups, and 0.6 per cent among those older than 15 years.

However, the study covered a sample of 706 cases, and dealt with hepatitis C only, lacking data on types A and B.

According to the society, the actual prevalence of hepatitis in Jordan remains unclear.”In 1987, when the last comprehensive study was completed, 9 per cent of the Jordanian population suffered from hepatitis B, while hepatitis A was a common disease affecting more than 90 per cent of the population,” Akroush said.

The impact of hepatitis A has changed in recent years; Jordan used to be one of the so-called “third zone countries”, according to Amer Khatib, a member of the Friends of the Liver Disease Patients Society.

Khatib said many children got the hepatitis A virus in their early years and developed lifelong immunity, noting that improving hygienic conditions was a game changer.

“We are in a transitional period. People are dying from it now because they get it when they are older, which we never had before in Jordan,” he noted.

This is why the society is calling for greater awareness, especially among young people, since they are the greatest at risk, Khatib said.

Jordan has had vaccines for hepatitis B and C since 1995, but not for type A.

Social stigma

The society recently established patient support groups to counter the social exclusion facing patients who suffer from hepatitis.

“People in contact with sick persons used to consider the disease as a stigma. They connect it to AIDS, or HIV and believe it is uniquely related to sexual intercourse. Hepatitis can be transmitted by any of the body’s fluids,” Akroush explained.

She noted that the misconception led to discrimination in daily life, arguing that hepatitis B should not be grounds for terminating someone’s work contract, unless he/she handles “blood, blood-based products or food”.

Akroush also urged people to have blood tests done more often.

“Anyone once in his life should test his blood for hepatitis B and hepatitis C,” she suggested.

To avoid risk, barbers, dentists, tattoo parlours and any professional whose work requires using sharp objects should operate under highly regimented hygienic conditions, Akroush said.

She highlighted that people who use IV drugs and have multiple sexual partners should be cautious and make sure they are protected.

Khatib warned of “self-proclaimed physicians” who transmit the virus to many individuals using methods such as blood-letting.