From leo zwànke, lafia
Nasarawa state has a significant hepatitis prevalence, with approximately 30.2% of its population affected, according to mr. Emmanuel okolo envoh, the executive director of beacon youth initiative and zonal coordinator civil society network on hepatitis in nigeria.
Mr. Envoh during his address on world hepatitis day in partnership with the sheca foundation nasarawa state ministry of health, the federal university of lafia among partners in gandu, lafia yesterday, emphasized the urgency of raising awareness and taking action to combat the disease
World hepatitis day, observed today, aims to create awareness about the deadly impact of hepatitis, which claims around one million lives annually. Mr. Envoh highlighted the importance of this year’s theme, “Time for action,” urging individuals to undergo screening and make informed decisions regarding treatment and vaccination.
Mr. Envoh stressed the necessity of proactive measures at the policy level, urging the government and key decision-makers to allocate resources towards the diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis. He warned that without such measures, the goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030 would remain unattainable.
The engagement, which brought together government, civil society, and key partners, focused on encouraging community members, including university students, to get tested for hepatitis b and c.
Mr. Envoh noted the involvement of medical experts and civil society organizations in raising awareness and providing vaccination and screening services.
A major challenge in the fight against hepatitis, mr. Envoh pointed out, is the lack of awareness about the virus. Many people are unaware of the importance of screening and the preventive measures necessary to combat the disease. This ignorance contributes significantly to the virus’s spread.
Unhealthy behaviors, such as the use of unsterilized sharp objects, further fuel the hepatitis epidemic in nasarawa state. Mr. Envoh called for behavioral changes and greater awareness to curb the spread of the virus.
Mr. Envoh reiterated the importance of deliberate actions and a responsive approach to eliminate hepatitis. He urged the community to participate in screenings and vaccinations to improve health outcomes and work towards the elimination of hepatitis in nasarawa state.
The commissioner for health declaring dr. Gaza gwamna, declaring the programme opened stated that the partnership was aimed at tackling hepatitis, whose prevalence rate in the state is currently worrisome.
The commissioner, represented by dr. John damina, permanent secretary of the ministry, explained that the government had already taken steps and is currently providing free hepatitis services across the state’s 13 local government areas.
“We are happy that an institution of learning like this is collaborating with us to complement our effort toward eliminating the disease in the state by 2030,” dr. Gwamna added. He assured that the governor abdullahi sule-led administration would continue to be proactive in addressing health challenges confronting the public.
The commissioner emphasized that providing affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare services is one of the top priorities of the present government. He appealed to the public to cooperate with the government’s efforts to eliminate hepatitis and other diseases by availing themselves of testing, counseling, vaccination, and treatment if found positive.
Dr. Ibrahim alhassan, director of public health in the ministry, highlighted that hepatitis is a liver disease and the government is working diligently to prevent its spread and escalation.
He noted that the exercise aimed to educate people on prevention methods, administer vaccinations to those without it, and offer treatment to those who tested positive. “The event, originally set for sunday, was shifted to monday to commemorate the 2024 world hepatitis day.”
In his welcome address at the event in lafia, the nasarawa state capital, prof. Shehu abdul-rahman, vice-chancellor of the institution, expressed happiness in offering free services to the communities and students.
He explained that the gesture was part of the university’s community service to assist their host community in tackling health challenges with a high prevalence rate in the state.
Prof. Abdul-rahman noted that the intervention was timely given the critically low public health indicators in the country, with the national life expectancy now at 56.05 years. He highlighted that the university decided to partner with the state ministry of health to combat hepatitis, one of the leading causes of mortality in the country.
Prof. Victor dugga, chairman of the university’s centre for community service, appreciated the vc, state government, partners, and community leaders for the program’s success.
He mentioned that the medical exercise was cost-free and appealed for the remaining medical equipment to be used at the university’s medical center for staff and students after the one-day programme.
