World Hepatitis Day: FCT residents call for free diagnosis, treatment

AS the globe celebrates World Hepatitis Day, a cross-section of Abuja residents called for free diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Hepatitis is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic diseases, commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.

The common types of the disease are Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

The FCT residents, in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said that the World Hepatitis Day was timely, as many were not aware of the disease and its dangers.

Celebrated annually on July 28, World Hepatitis Day is a UN observance day aimed at raising global awareness on the viral disease, symptoms, treatment options and availability, as well as challenges faced by sufferers.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Find the Missing Millions”.

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Dr Ezekiel Abbah, a Public Health Specialist, advised the government to improve surveillance data, scale-up testing and treatment at the national level, and support service delivery among vulnerable populations.

Abbah said the government should also encourage innovations in research and have dedicated focus on sustainable financing to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

According to him, reducing hepatitis-related deaths by 65 per cent by 2030 is a key component of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Hepatitis Strategy.

He said that the strategy, which was adopted by 194 governments including Nigeria, sets out a list of key targets, which, if achieved would eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

Mr Yakubu Pam, a Senior Nurse, said that even though there was no accurate information about the number of people living with the disease, hepatitis could be said to be a neglected ailment in Nigeria.

Pam said that with the availability of effective therapies against viral hepatitis, physicians, researchers and healthcare decision-makers needed to improve diagnosis, management and prevention in the nation.

The nurse said that the relatively high cost of treatment called for a systematic approach for the condition so that resources would be used effectively.

Mrs Joyce Hassan, a civil servant, called for the inclusion of treatment for hepatitis in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to reduce the burden on sufferers.

Hassan said there are many health issues that are not covered by NHIS, noting that even if hepatitis treatment is not included in the insurance scheme, special attention should be given to sufferers just like those living with HIV/AIDS.

Mr Timothy Bako, a Biology lecturer in an FCT University, urged the government to support people living with viral hepatitis, noting that the cost of diagnosis and treatment are high for the ordinary Nigerian.