#BtheVoice: Nathaniel's story of living with hepatitis B in Nigeria

Nathaniel found out he had hepatitis B shortly after losing his father to liver cancer caused by hepatitis B. He describes that many people in Northern Nigeria tend to not be aware of hepatitis B. Nathaniel describes his experience on treatment for hepatitis B including pegylated interferon which he took for a year. After that year, he was still infected. He soon after started antiviral medications which he has been on since. Nathaniel describes the challenges of accessing treatment in Nigeria can be costly. He describes that the same treatments are free for HIV and hopes that the same program can be extended to hepatitis B. Nathaniel is planning to give himself to the fight against hepatitis B through advocacy and spreading awareness in his community. *** About the Hepatitis B Foundation: The Hepatitis B Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Our commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunization and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public. Learn more: www.hepb.org *** About #BtheVoice The Hepatitis B Foundation launched the B the Voice Story Bank in 2020. Building upon the success of our national #justB campaign – launched in partnership with StoryCenter and AAPCHO in May 2017 – we are excited to expand our storytelling efforts internationally. Almost 300 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis B, but so many of their stories remain untold. Often this is due to stigma, fear of discrimination, lack of community awareness or understanding of the disease, or lack of support for those wishing to speak out publicly about hepatitis B. The new B the Voice Story Bank provides an online platform for people living with hepatitis B, their families, and community health workers and health care providers to share their first-hand knowledge and experiences with a global audience. Add your story here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/bthevoice *** Donate here: https://www.hepb.org/donate