Hepatitis: symptoms, causes, and prevention explained by a specialist

Kinshasa, July 30^th, 2025 (CPA).-The symptoms, causes, prevention and transmission of hepatitis were explained on Wednesday by a hematologist and gastroenterologist during an interview in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. ‘Hepatitis, although often silent, is an inflammation of the liver, often caused by viral infections. Symptoms can include intense fatigue, and the virus is more dangerous than AIDS because it spreads without people realizing it,’ has said Dr Jean-Jacques Matimbo, a hematologist and gastroenterologist at the Monkole Hospital Centre. According to this doctor, there are five types of hepatitis: HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV and EV, all of which are transmitted by a virus, hence the term viral hepatitis. Dr. Matimbo believes that there are several causes of this disease, including alcohol abuse and self-medication, as some medicines may contain substances that are toxic to the liver. According to this specialist, symptoms can include intense fatigue, loss of appetite, discoloration of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), dark urine and pale stools. He said that hepatitis can be transmitted through sexual contact, contaminated water or food, blood transfusions, or from mother to child during pregnancy.  Faced with this silently threatening disease Dr Matimbo emphasized two fundamental pillars: screening and prevention. ‘It is important at the national level for the government to invest in awareness-raising and screening, with proper training for healthcare personnel so that the population is well informed, while strengthening vaccination for hepatitis A and B,’ he has recommended. In addition, the hematologist advised against self-medication and treatment with traditional products, which can be harmful to normal people and even more dangerous for pregnant women. ‘The best thing to do is to go to an appropriate health centre if you have symptoms,’ he has added. Dr. Matimbo called on healthcare workers to consider liver function tests as a routine examination and urged the population to pay attention to food hygiene, exercise and have a check-up every 3 to 6 months.