Safe lifestyle practices and good hygiene habits can prevent viral hepatitis

25 July 2025

City Health will commemorate World Hepatitis Day on Monday, 28 July. The department has completed nearly 1 000 projects to create awareness and education during the last two years and encourages the public to do their part to prevent viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis is a viral infection that targets the cells of the liver and causes inflammation. Among the many strains of the hepatitis virus, the most commonly seen strains are hepatitis A, B and C.

The theme for this year is ‘Let’s break it down’, and includes a call for urgent action to dismantle the barriers, including stigma, that stand in the way of eliminating the disease.

‘Hepatitis is a leading cause of liver cancer and the numbers are growing. The disease is preventable and treatable, yet the burden continues to rise. City Health’s drive in marking World Hepatitis Day is to encourage testing and to ensure a healthy lifestyle, which includes good personal and environmental hygiene. Many diseases can be easily avoided through handwashing and City Health staff do hundreds of health and hygiene outreach programmes each year to convey this message. Many people live with hepatitis and don’t know they’re infected. Visit your clinic for accurate information and get tested if you need to,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.

Number of projects done in the last two years that focus on awareness, prevention and education around hepatitis:

Hepatitis B and C differ from hepatitis A in that they can cause far more serious liver disease and are spread through close contact with someone who has the infection. About 6,7% of South Africans are infected with Hepatitis B, but many don’t know their status. This can occur through unprotected sex, the sharing of syringes during intravenous drug use or from mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy and breastfeeding. People who are infected often present later with jaundice, fatigue, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and dark urine or pale stools.

Early symptoms of hepatitis can include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain (especially in the upper right side), dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes). Some individuals may also experience fever, joint pain, and light-coloured stools.

City clinics will test for and confirm hepatitis for symptomatic clients who are then referred to a secondary hospital.

‘The good news is that hepatitis B can be prevented through routine vaccinations. Parents and caregivers should take their children for their routine vaccinations. It is free of charge at any City Health facility. There has been great strides in combatting disease and hepatitis C can be treated effectively. All forms of the disease can be treated and you can approach your nearest clinic for more information or assistance,’ added Councillor Higham.

What you can do to prevent the spread of the virus:

• To prevent hepatitis A, always wash your hands after using the toilet and ensure that your fruit and vegetables are washed with clean water before eating.
• As hepatitis B and C are spread through close contact with blood and body fluids, always remember to use a condom when you have sex.
• If you use intravenous drugs, use a clean sterile needle and syringe each time. If you need help with your drug addiction, the City has eight Matrix® sites that can assist: Tafelsig, Albow Gardens, Delft South, Eerste River, Town 2 in Khayelitsha, Parkwood, Scottsdene, and Ruimte Road in Manenberg.

For more information, residents are encouraged to contact their nearest clinic or healthcare facility.

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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office