23, 224 Nasarawa Residents Test Positive To Hepatitis

No fewer than 23, 224 persons are currently living with hepatitis in Nasarawa State, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Janet Agbazo has disclosed.

At a press briefing in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day yesterday, in Lafia, Dr Agbazo said she discovered the number after screening a total of 229,682 persons for the disease.

She also revealed that out of a total of 5,096 persons screened for viraemia, 2,697 have been found to be viraemic.

She said 2,587 persons out of the number have been put on treatment and some of them with HCV have been cured respectively.

According to her, the state aimed to treat approximately 124,000 persons of hepatitis C through a five years elimination plan.

Speaking on this year’s World Hepatitis Day with the theme, “We are not waiting, one life, and one liver”, the permanent secretary decried  the high burden of Hepatitis B and C in the state, which she said, surpassed the national average.

Dr Agbazo said the state government with support from Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), has been actively working to create an enabling policy environment to facilitate access to diagnosis and treatment services for HBV and HCV.

“Additionally, we are improving vaccination efforts against Hepatitis B and implementing the Elimination Intervention; which include roll-out of the HIV, Syphilis and HBV Triple Elimination Study,” she explained, adding that significant progress has been made in the fight against hepatitis in the state.

She said 97 healthcare workers have been trained across 17 facilities, noting that micro-elimination has been achieved in three facilities in Awe, Keana, and Doma.

“We have activated 13 Secondary Health facilities, General Hospital, with three more facilities in Obi, Wamba and Uke on track to achieve micro elimination soon,” she added.

She called for regular screening for early identification of the disease and proper treatment.

She also advised the general public against the use of unsterilised needles/syringes, even as she urges them to refrain from transfusion of unscreened blood products.