BackgroundLibya is one of the largest countries in Africa and has the longest coast in the Mediterranean basin facing southern Europe. High rates of prevalence of viral hepatitis have been observed in various regions in Africa, but the prevalence in Libya is not well documented. We report on a large-scale nationwide study that evaluated the epidemiology of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in Libya and assessed the risk factors involved.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out in 2008 on 65,761 individuals all over Libya. The country was divided into 12 regions according to the population density and sampling within each region was carried out under the supervision of the National Centre for Prevention of Infectious Diseases. Serum samples were collected from both males and females of all ages in both urban and rural areas and tested for HBsAg for hepatitis B and anti-HCV antibody for hepatitis C. Prevalence rates were determined in regions and in different groups and correlated with different demographic and risk factors involved in the spread of these viruses.ResultsThe prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses varied regionally across the country. The overall prevalence of hepatitis B was 2.2% (95% CI 2.1%-2.3%) and was higher among males than females (1.4:1.0). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence was 1.2% (95% CI 1.1-1.3) and it increased gradually after the age of 30 years (0.7-0.9% for < 30 years; 3.6% for ≥ 60 years). Prevalence of HBsAg was 0.8-0.9% below the age of 10 years, and higher but similar in older age groups (2.3-2.7%). There was an association between literacy and prevalence of hepatitis, particularly for HCV. Hospital admission, surgical operation, blood transfusion, and intravenous drug use were the main risk factors, and they were associated independently with a higher prevalence rate of viral hepatitis.ConclusionsLibya may be considered an area of low-intermediate endemicity for hepatitis B virus infection, with lower rates in young age groups, and an area of low endemicity for hepatitis C. The prevalence of hepatitis B and C across Libya is not homogeneous, with indications of the effect of the higher rates in some neighbouring countries. Libya should adopt full coverage national plans and guidelines to face the future consequences of viral hepatitis, particularly hepatitis C virus.

BackgroundIn 1998 Libya experienced a major outbreak of multiple blood borne viral hepatitis and HIV infections. Since then, no studies have been done on the epidemic features and risk factors of HBV, HCV, HIV and co-infection among the general population.MethodsA prospective study was carried out using a multi-centre clustering method to collect samples from the general population. The participants were interviewed, and relevant information was collected, including socio-demographic, ethnic, and geographic variables. This information was correlated with the risk factors involved in the transmission of HBV, HCV and HIV. Blood samples were collected and the sera were tested for HBsAg, anti-HCV and anti-HIV using enzyme immunoassay.ResultsA total of 9,170 participants from the nine districts of Tripoli were enrolled. The average prevalence of HBsAg was 3.7%, anti-HCV 0.9%, anti-HIV 0.15% and co-infection 0.02%. The prevalence varied from one district to another. HBV was more prevalent among those aged over 50 years and was associated with family history. Anti-HCV and anti-HIV were more prevalent among those aged 20–40 years. Intravenous drug use and blood transfusion were the main risk factors for HCV and HIV infection.ConclusionHBV, HCV, HIV and co-infection are relatively common in Libya. High prevalence was associated with geographic, ethnic and socioeconomic variability within the community. HCV and HIV infections among the younger age groups are becoming an alarming issue. Regulations and health care education need to be implemented and longer term follow-up should be planned.

Background: Armed conflicts can negatively affect health services and cause injuries and death. The recent Arab uprising has been associated with considerable damage to infrastructure and loss of human lives. The aim of this study was to determine mortality, injuries and population displacement that occurred during the recent Libyan armed conflict. Methods: A systematic cross-sectional field survey and non-structured search was carried out over fourteen provinces in six Libyan regions, representing the primary sites of the armed conflict between February 2011 and February 2012. Thirty-five percent of the total area of Libya and 62.4% of the Libyan population were involved in the study. The mortality and injury rates were determined and the number of displaced people was calculated during the conflict period. Results: A total of 21,490 (0.5%) persons were killed, 19,700 (0.47%) injured and 435,000 (10.33%) displaced. The overall mortality rate was found to be 5.1 per 1000 per year (95% CI 4.1-7.4) and injury rate was found to be 4.7 per 1000 per year (95% CI 3.9-7.2) but varied by both region and time, reaching peak rates by JulyAugust 2011. Conclusion: The Libyan armed conflict resulted in great human loss and social damage mirrored by high rates of mortality, injury and human displacement. Such parameters peaked as the conflict escalated and differed according to the Libyan regions and provinces involved. National and international efforts should be combined to overcome the consequences of these conflicts. Pre´sentation: Les conflits arme´s peuvent affecter ne´gativement la sante´et provoquer des blessures et des de´ce`s. Le re´cent soule`vement arabe a e´te´associe´a`des dommages conside´rables aux infrastructures et a`la perte de vies humaines. L'objectif de cette e´tude e´tait de de´terminer le taux de mortalite´, de blessures et les de´placements de population pendant le re´cent conflit arme´en Libye. Me´thodes: Une e´tude de terrain transversale et syste´matique et une recherche non structure´e ont e´te´re´alise´es afin de couvrir six re´gions libyennes incluant 14 provinces, qui e´taient les principaux the´aˆtres du conflit arme´entre fe´vrier 2011 et fe´vrier 2012. Cette e´tude concernait trente-cinq pour cent de la surface totale de la Libye et 62,4 % de la population libyenne. Les taux de mortalite´et de blessures et le nombre de personnes de´place´es ont e´te´calcule´s sur la pe´riode du conflit.Re´sultats: Au total, 21,490 (0,5 %) personnes ont e´te´tue´es, 19,700 (0,47 %) personnes ont e´te´blesse´es et 435,000 (10,33 %) personnes ont e´te´de´place´es. Le taux de mortalite´global a e´te´estime´a`5,1 pour 1 000 par an (IC de 95 % ; 4,1 -7,4) et le taux de blessures global a e´te´estime´a`4,7 pour 1 000 par an (IC de 95 % ; 3,9 -7,2) ; ces taux variaient d'une re´gion a`l'autre. Ils ont varie´pe´riodiquement au cours du conflit et ont atteint un sommet en juillet-aouˆt 2011, la situation s'e´tant aggrave´e pour connaıˆtre ensuite un retour au calme vers la fin du conflit. Conclusion: Le conflit arme´li...

Background The consequences of armed conflicts impose considerable burdens on the economy and health care services, particularly in countries that are not equipped to deal with them, such as in the Middle-East, and North African countries. Little is known about the burden of mortality and injury resulting from the Libyan armed conflict. This study aimed to determine the trends and patterns of mortality, injury and disabilities directly associated with the Libyan armed conflict and analyze the geographic variation within the country during 2012–2107. Methods Data on conflict-related deaths, injuries, and disabilities were obtained from the national registry offices. The information included date, place, and demographic information. A questionnaire was also used to obtain information from the affected individuals and their families. National and regional trends of mortality, injury and disabilities were calculated. Spatial analysis was performed using geographic data available on all documented cases to analyze clustering of mortality and injury. Results A total of 16,126 deaths and 42,633 injuries were recorded with complete information during the Libyan conflict from 2012 till 2017. The overall mortality rate was 2.7/1000 population and injury rate was 7.1/1000. The overall male-to-female ratio of mortality and injury was 4.4:1; 42.3% were single and aged 20–30 years old, and 26.4% were aged 31–40 years. Moreover, injuries resulted in death in 20.1% of cases and disability in 33.5% of the cases. Most of the disabilities were caused by blasts, while gun shots resulted in more deaths. The overall mortality and injury rates were highest during 2015–2017. These rates were highest in the eastern region. Injuries were most concentrated in Benghazi and Derna in the east, followed by Sert and Musrata in the central region. Conclusions Conflict-related mortality, injury and disability has inflicted a heavy burden on the Libyan society that may persist for a long time. The rates of these casualties varied in time and place. National, well-planned efforts are needed to address this serious situation and its consequences.

Background Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an alarming problem in North African countries, but few studies have analyzed the geographical distribution of the epidemic. Libya, the second largest country in Africa and with the longest coast on the Mediterranean basin facing Europe, has experienced major outbreaks of HIV infection. Since then, no studies have followed up on the burden of HIV infections. To plan interventions and allocate resources, spatial analysis of HIV/AIDS clusters are required in order to identify epidemic foci and trends in the country. The objective of this study was to assess HIV infection clustering and trends in Libya. Methods Information on all recorded HIV/AIDS cases during 1993–2017 were extracted from the National Reporting System. A total of 8015 newly diagnosed HIV cases with address information were included. Spatial autocorrelation and spatial–temporal analysis were used to identify HIV clusters. Spatial correlations between cases and socio-demographic factors were determined using spatial regression. Results HIV cases steadily increased within the Libyan population, particularly among those aged < 27 years. Spatiotemporal analysis showed marked geographic and temporal variation of HIV infection, particularly during 2005–2012. The risk factors varied from one region to another, and the contribution of injection drug use to infection increased with time. Four clusters in three time periods were identified, three on the Mediterranean coast and one in the south. Conclusion HIV is an emerging problem in Libya, particularly among young adults. The infection rate varies greatly among the regions and districts, particularly within certain definable geographical areas. Effective intervention strategies are needed to contain HIV infections, especially within the endemic areas. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12981-019-0228-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection has been considered a serious neglected pandemic, particularly in developing countries. The virus causes a more severe disease than mono infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). The epidemiology of HDV is not well documented in North Africa, which is known to be endemic for HBV. In this study, we explored the prevalence of HDV infection and also attempted to identify factors associated with hepatitis D positive status among chronic hepatitis B patients in North Africa. Methods The electronic databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were comprehensively searched for all papers published between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2017, using appropriate strategies containing all related keywords, including North Africa, names of countries in the region, and all permutations of hepatitis D virus. The estimated prevalence of HDV in North Africa was calculated as an average of the pooled infection prevalence in each country weighted by the ratio of the country's hepatitis D virus population to the study's sample size in the survey data analysis. Findings A total of 312 studies were identified and 32 were included in this study, with a total sample of 4907 individuals screened for HDV. There was considerable variability in the prevalence estimates of HDV within the countries of the region. The overall prevalence of HDV in the general population of North Africa was 5·01% (95% CI: 1·25–8·27) and in liver disease patients it was 20.7% (95% CI:9.87–44.53). Genotype-1 was the most prominent genotype reported in five published studies. Ten studies reported on HDV RNA in participants who were seropositive for HDV, and four studies highlighted the impact of demographic factors (sex and age). No study showed the impact of risk factors on the prevalence of HDV in North Africa. Interpretation This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the burden of HDV in Northern Africa. There were significant differences in seroprevalence, study population, and diagnostic testing between the countries in the region. The results presented here will alert health professionals to implement clear policies based on evidence to diminish the burden of HDV infection. Such measures may include but are not restricted to improving the laboratory diagnostic tests and initiating patient data registries and blood screening. Further epidemiological and research studies are needed to explore the risk factors, coinfections, and approaches to increase testing for HDV, particularly in high-risk subpopulations, such as intravenous drug users and immigrants, and to define the consequences of HDV infection in North Africa.

AIMTo assess hepatitis C virus (HCV) geographic integration, evaluate the spatial and temporal evolution of HCV worldwide and propose how to diminish its burden.METHODSA literature search of published articles was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE and other related databases up to December 2015. A critical data assessment and analysis regarding the epidemiological integration of HCV was carried out using the meta-analysis method.RESULTSThe data indicated that HCV has been integrated immensely over time and through various geographical regions worldwide. The history of HCV goes back to 1535 but between 1935 and 1965 it exhibited a rapid, exponential spread. This integration is clearly seen in the geo-epidemiology and phylogeography of HCV. HCV integration can be mirrored either as intra-continental or trans-continental. Migration, drug trafficking and HCV co-infection, together with other potential risk factors, have acted as a vehicle for this integration. Evidence shows that the geographic integration of HCV has been important in the global and regional distribution of HCV.CONCLUSIONHCV geographic integration is clearly evident and this should be reflected in the prevention and treatment of this ongoing pandemic.

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