https://instagram.com/billionznice7?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==As the world celebrates World Hepatitis Day on June 8, which is themed “We Are Not Waiting,” stakeholders are stressing the prevalence of the disease in Nigeria and the urgent need for proactive measures. There are an estimated 20 million Nigerians living with the disease, most of whom are unaware until it becomes life-threatening.
The absence of sustained action is not due to lack of awareness on the part of the government. In a recent meeting with a delegation from the federal health ministry, the wife of Cross River State Governor Eyoanwan Otu stressed the need for strong collaboration between government and the private sector. She also advocated for increased public awareness campaigns on the nature and dangers of hepatitis, as well as more direct access to treatment.
Viral hepatitis is a global public health challenge; there are five distinct forms of the disease, A, B, C, D, and E, each attributed to a different virus type. Chronic forms of Hepatitis B and C are responsible for 95 percent of all liver-related illnesses and premature deaths.
Hepatitis D is less common and only occurs in association with hepatitis B. The other two hepatitis A and E are spread through contaminated food and water and cause acute infections and outbreaks in areas with poor sanitation and insufficient waste disposal.
Like HIV, unsafe sexual behavior and injection practices, unsafe blood transfusion and other harmful practices, such as the sharing of toothbrushes or sharp objects for scarification marks, tattoos, and mother-to-child transmission, contribute to the spread of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV).
In Africa, including Nigeria, hepatitis is a silent epidemic. According to the Nigeria HIV-AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, more than 90 million people in the region live with hepatitis, accounting for 26 percent of the global total. At the time of writing, HBV and HCV had a prevalence rate of 8.1% and 1.1%, respectively, in Nigerian adults 15-64 years."
hepatitis is another killer,the various government should take strong measures to neutralize it.
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