CHRONIC HEPATITIS B (CHB) IN SENEGAL

With over 800,000 annual deaths worldwide attributed to the hepatitis B virus, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has been referred to as the “silent epidemic” whose burden compares to that of HIV, tuberculosis, or malaria. In 2016, the WHO General Assembly committed to viral hepatitis elimination by 2030 with a strategy centered around three pillars: prevention, testing and treatment. Despite being the first country in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish a systematic hepatitis B program which included vaccination and curative treatment options, Senegal remains one of the only African countries to have seen an increase in estimated CHB prevalence from the 1950s to 2000s.  

While previous studies have identified fragments of the health services delivery process and individual behaviors (e.g., knowledge, stigma), they do not provide a full picture of individuals’ complex lived experiences with the condition. We need a more comprehensive and multidimensional framework which captures the individual abilities and societal conditions needed for individuals to avoid CHB-related morbidity and mortality. The Health Capability Profile addresses this need.