Community Theatre Education against the Terror Scourge of Hepatitis B: The EPE Experiment

Abstract

It has been established that Hepatitis B virus infection is a pandemic and chronic infection that may lead to chronic liver diseases which are often lethal. Since over 30 years when pioneer works were done in Nigeria to the recent tunes the prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection has remained very high. In Nigeria, the transmission of hepatitis B virus occurs mainly during childhood and all the risk factors (like blood transfusion, sexual promiscuity, lower socio-economic status etc) implicated elsewhere in the spread of the virus in the general population also play role in Nigeria. Our people need to be educated on the reduction in the hepatitis B virus infection which could be achieved by public enlightenment campaign on mass immunization of the children and adults at risk, antiviral drugs and provision of the immunostimulatory therapy for those already infected. Since the pedagogy of a functional education transcends the esoteric lesson plan/ note of classroom setting, this research thus made use of community Theatre for Development (a proven, tested and trusted participatory drama education) at Epe Local Council Development Area of Lagos State for an aggressive dramatic health education to inform reform and empower the citizenry. It was indeed a political wake up call.