In PNG, many people are living with chronic liver conditions and many have died from either liver cancer or liver failure from severe liver cirrhosis.
Statistics from WHO in 2020 showed that liver cancer was the 4th leading cause of cancer death in both sexes in all age groups.
The chronic liver conditions that lead to both liver cirrhosis and liver cancer are:
- Chronic Hepatitis B and C infection. Chronic Hepatitis B infection is endemic in PNG. Numerous Studies show that prevalence is high (>12%) in our population. Antiviral treatment is available.
- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (AFLD). Excessive alcohol leads to fatty liver and inflammation. More than 1 or 2 drink a day for females and males respectively can lead to AFLD. A drink is different depending on the alcohol concentration. 350ml of 5% SP is equivalent to a drink or 170mls of 10-14% of wine. This condition can resolve after 4 – 6 weeks of alcohol cessation, however, sometimes this may not be the case.
- Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). This conditional is almost always present in people who are morbidly obese. This is a condition caused by regular consumption of typical western diet, fast food and soft drinks. It is also caused by uncontrolled diabetes and sedentary lifestyle. This condition is manageable with lifestyle changes.
You can take care of your liver by:
- Making a decision to stop taking alcohol regularly or better still stop.
- Get vaccinated against hepatitis B infection.
- Get treated for Hepatitis B infection. Visit us for help.
- If you are not hypertensive, a cup or two of freshly brewed coffee each day is liver protective.
- Drink water, kulau or natural fruit juices instead of soft drinks.
- Cut down on sugar and sweets.
- Eat a diet rich in whole plant based food – fresh fruits and vegetables.