Managing cirrhosis with limited resources: perspectives from sub-Saharan Africa.

Cirrhosis represents the end stage of chronic liver disease. Sub-Saharan Africa, a resource-constrained region, has a high burden of chronic liver disease, with causes including chronic viral hepatitis, excessive alcohol use, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the risk of which is burgeoning. The development of liver cirrhosis predicts for morbidity and mortality, driven by both liver dysfunction and the consequences of portal hypertension. Compensated cirrhosis portends a better prognosis than decompensated cirrhosis, highlighting the need for the early diagnosis of cirrhosis and its causes. With resource challenges, the diagnosis and management of cirrhosis is demanding, but less costly and less invasive interventions with substantial benefits, ranging from simple blood tests to transient elastography, are feasible in such settings. Simple interventions are also available to manage the complex manifestations of decompensation, such as ß blockers in variceal bleeding prophylaxis, salt restriction and appropriate diuretic use in ascites, and lactulose and generic rifaximin in hepatic encephalopathy. Ultimately, managing the underlying causative factors of liver disease is key in improving prognosis. Management demands expanded policy interventions to increase screening and treatment for hepatitis B and C and reduce alcohol use and the metabolic factors driving MASLD. Furthermore, the skills needed for more specialised interventions, such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedures and even liver transplantation, warrant planning, increased capacity, and support for regional centres of excellence. Such centres are already being developed in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating what can be achieved with dedicated initiatives and individuals.

Challenges in the diagnosis and management of IBD: a sub-Saharan African perspective.

With the exception of South Africa, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has long been considered uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a dearth of peer-reviewed publications from the subcontinent. This most likely reflects underreporting as some cases may be missed due to the high burden of infectious diseases which may closely mimic IBD. In addition, many countries in SSA have limited endoscopic capacity, inadequate access to diagnostic imaging and a notable scarcity of histopathologists, radiologists and gastroenterologists. Beyond these obstacles, which significantly impact patient care, there are many other challenges in SSA, particularly the unavailability of key IBD therapies. In this review, we discuss barriers in diagnosing and managing IBD in SSA, as well as some of the initiatives currently in place to address these short comings.

Inflammatory bowel disease in sub-Saharan Africa: epidemiology, risk factors, and challenges in diagnosis.

Over the past century, the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in high-income countries has shown a sharp rise that then plateaued, and a similar trend has been observed in newly industrialised countries. IBD has long been considered uncommon in sub-Saharan Africa, possibly reflecting low exposure to environmental risk factors described in high-income populations. Alternatively, individuals living in sub-Saharan Africa might have a different genetic disposition. However, some cases of IBD might remain undetected in sub-Saharan Africa because of a lack of awareness, deficiencies in diagnostic and clinical capacity, and a substantial rate of misdiagnosis due to the high burden of infectious diseases. There are few published data describing the natural history of IBD in sub-Saharan Africa, and the true burden of the disease remains largely unknown, although there is some evidence that the incidence of IBD is rising in this region. This Series paper summarises the present understanding of IBD and challenges facing clinicians when diagnosing this disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Challenges in the management of inflammatory bowel disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is generally considered a disease of high-income countries and is regarded as rare in sub-Saharan Africa. However, this assumption is almost certainly an underestimate, and the high burden of communicable diseases makes IBD in sub-Saharan Africa difficult to detect. Furthermore, some gastrointestinal infections can closely mimic IBD, contributing to delays in diagnosis and complicating therapeutic decision making. Constraints in endoscopic capacity alongside a scarcity of qualified diagnostic pathologists add to the difficulties. Implementing evidence-based guidelines recommended by international societies is challenging, mostly due to high costs and unavailability of medication. However, cost-effective approaches can still be implemented to manage IBD in sub-Saharan Africa as the predominant disease phenotype is mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis, which often responds to treatment with basic medication. In this Series paper, we summarise the current management of IBD in sub-Saharan Africa and propose how it can be tailored to suit the epidemiological and socioeconomic specificities of the region. We also discuss measures required to address existing challenges, such as educating health-care workers about the diagnosis and management of IBD or improving endoscopic capacity.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: measures to improve the outlook in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a leading public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is most prevalent in young adults (median 45 years [IQR 35-57]). Overall, outcomes are poor, with a median survival of 2·5 months after presentation. Major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma are hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus, aflatoxin B1 exposure, and alcohol consumption, with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease slowly emerging as a risk factor over the past few years. Crucially, these risk factors are preventable and manageable with effective implementation of the HBV birth-dose vaccination, treatment of chronic viral hepatitis, provision of harm reduction services, and by decreasing aflatoxin B1 exposure and harmful alcohol consumption. Primary prevention is central to the management of hepatocellular carcinoma, especially in poorly resourced environments. Effective screening and surveillance programmes with recall policies need to be implemented, because detection and curative management of hepatocellular carcinoma is possible if it is detected at an early stage, even in countries with minimal resources, with appropriate upskilling of medical personnel. The establishment of centres of excellence with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities within countries should improve hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes and assist in driving the implementation of much needed systematic data systems focused on hepatocellular carcinoma to establish the accurate burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Such data would support the public health importance of hepatocellular carcinoma and provide a strong basis for advocacy, programme development, resource allocation, and monitoring of progress in reducing mortality.

Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa: challenges and solutions.

Most patients who develop hepatocellular carcinoma reside in resource-poor countries, a category that includes most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Age-standardised incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma in western, central, eastern, and southern Africa is 6·53 per 100 000 inhabitants to 11·1 per 100 000 inhabitants. In high-income countries, around 40% of patients are diagnosed at an early stage, in which interventions with curative intent or palliative interventions are possible. By contrast, 95% of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in sub-Saharan Africa present with advanced or terminal disease. In high-income countries, targets of 30-40% that have been set for intervention with curative intent are regularly met, with expected 5-year overall survival rates in the region of 70%. These outcomes are in sharp contrast with the very small proportion of patients in sub-Saharan Africa who are treated with curative intent. Primary prevention through the eradication and reduction of risk factors is still suboptimal because of logistical challenges. The challenges facing primary prevention, in combination with difficult-to-manage historic and emerging risk factors, such as ethanol overconsumption and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, mandates secondary prevention for populations at risk through screening and surveillance. Although the increased treatment needs yielded by screening and surveillance in high-income countries are manageable by the incremental expansion of existing interventional resources, the lack of resources in sub-Saharan Africa will undermine the possible benefits of secondary prevention. An estimate of the projected effect of the introduction and expansion of screening and surveillance, resulting in stage migration and possibilities for active interventions for hepatocellular carcinoma, would facilitate optimal planning and development of resources.

Health-care provision and policy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa, which has a population of more than 1 billion people, carries 24% of the global burden of disease and spends the least on health care of any region, relying heavily on international development assistance to deliver health care for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The demographic and epidemiological transitions occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, with rising prevalences of obesity and diabetes, enhance the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), yet this remains an unrecognised complication of metabolic syndrome. There are no guidance documents on NAFLD from sub-Saharan Africa, and non-communicable disease (NCD) guidance documents do not include the associated burden of fatty liver disease. Combating the health and socioeconomic burden of NAFLD requires an integrated liver health approach, with task-shifting to primary health care. Using clear guidance documents to link education and management of HIV, viral hepatitis, NAFLD, and associated NCDs is also crucial to an integrated approach to infectious diseases and NCDs, which requires targeted funding from both governments and international development agencies.

Epidemiology, risk factors, social determinants of health, and current management for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in sub-Saharan Africa.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease globally and is estimated to affect approximately 25% of the world's population. Data about the prevalence and incidence of NAFLD in Africa are scarce, but the prevalence is estimated to be 13·5% for the general population. This is likely to be an underestimate considering the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, driven by the overlapping challenges of food insecurity, nutritional transition, and associated increased consumption of calorie-dense foods. Establishing the true prevalence of NAFLD, raising public awareness around the risk factors behind the increase in NAFLD, and proactively addressing all components of metabolic syndrome will be important to combat this silent epidemic, which will have long-term health-care costs and economic consequences for the region.

Hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa: strategies to achieve the 2030 elimination targets.

The WHO global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis, created in May, 2016, aims to achieve a 90% reduction in new cases of chronic hepatitis B and C and a 65% reduction in mortality due to hepatitis B and C by 2030. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa, and despite the introduction of universal hepatitis B vaccination and effective antiviral therapy, the estimated overall seroprevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen remains high at 6·1% (95% uncertainty interval 4·6-8·5). In this Series paper, we have reviewed the literature to examine the epidemiology, burden of liver disease, and elimination strategies of hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper reflects a supranational perspective of sub-Saharan Africa, and recommends several priority elimination strategies that address the need both to prevent new infections and to diagnose and treat chronic infections. The key to achieving these elimination goals in sub-Saharan Africa is the effective prevention of new infections via universal implementation of the HBV birth-dose vaccine, full vaccine coverage, access to affordable diagnostics to identify HBV-infected individuals, and to enable linkage to care and antiviral therapy.

Hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa: the current status and recommendations for achieving elimination by 2030.

In 2016, WHO adopted a strategy for the elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. Africa, and more specifically, sub-Saharan Africa, carries a substantial portion of the global burden of viral hepatitis, especially chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections. The task that lies ahead for sub-Saharan Africa to achieve elimination is substantial, but not insurmountable. Major developments in the management of hepatitis C have put elimination within reach, but several difficulties will need to be navigated on the path to elimination. Many of the challenges faced are unique to sub-Saharan Africa and the development of strategies is complicated by a scarcity of good data from countries and regions within sub-Saharan Africa. However, this hindrance should not act as a barrier to delay interventions in screening, detection, and linkage to care. Moreover, by sharing experiences from across sub-Saharan Africa, countries can create supranational synergies to develop their programmes and work together in a more cohesive manner to tackle the burden of hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa. In this Series paper, several issues related to hepatitis C in sub-Saharan Africa are addressed, including prevalence, risk factors, and fibrosis assessment, and recommendations are given by experts from across the region. Simplified diagnostic algorithms and treatment regimens for both HIV co-infected and hepatitis C mono-infected patients are suggested. The recommendations are consensus based and provided to guide the development of programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Political will and appropriate funding will be required to provide impetus to implement these recommendations.