Preventing HBV in Lagos: Inocul8’s 2019 World Hepatitis Day Outreach

Inocul8’s mission is to help people and families prevent infectious diseases, as we believe no one should suffer or die from illnesses that existing solutions can prevent.

In 2019, to celebrate World Hepatitis Day (observed annually on July 28), we conducted a successful outreach program in Iyana Paja, Lagos State. The initiative focused on education, screening, and prevention.

Educating the Community

The outreach began with an educational session. Participants learned that hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). They were strongly encouraged to participate in the screening exercise to determine their current status. We emphasised that individuals who tested negative should pursue vaccination.

Screening Participants for Hepatitis B

The Inocul8 team provided HBV screening to all participants, enabling them to know their infection status. The screening test works by detecting Hepatitis B surface proteins (HBsAg), which are present in anyone with the virus. The rapid test involves collecting a small blood sample and analysing it for these specific viral proteins.

Vaccination for Prevention

The final activity was offering vaccination to participants who tested negative for hepatitis B. The goal of the vaccination was to provide long-term protection against the infection in case of future exposure. Individuals require three doses of the vaccine to be fully immunised.