80% Of 20m Nigerians Infected By Hepatitis Unaware Of Status, Says WHO

World Health Organisation (WHO) has said with one person dying every 30 seconds, it is regrettable that 80% of 20 million Nigerians infected by hepatitis B and C do not know their status.

Speaking yesterday in Maiduguri, the WHO state coordinator, Dr Ibrahim Salisu Audu, said this date was selected to commemorate the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, the Nobel Laureate who discovered Hepatitis B infection (HBV) in the 1960s and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for it, adding that the year‘s theme for World Hepatitis Day is “it’s time for action”.

He said to expand awareness and improve detection and treatment, WHO has been supporting the Government of Nigeria in its National Hepatitis response, stressing that the organisation aims to mirror the successful mass awareness programmes of the HIV campaign, which has resulted in increased testing and treatment uptake.

“With one person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, it is important that we accelerate our effort in preventing, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes. It reminds us that every moment counts in our mission to eliminate this global health threat.

“Types B and C hepatitis lead to chronic disease and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral-hepatitis related deaths.

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“In Nigeria, it is estimated that over 20 million people live with hepatitis B, C, or both; yet more than 80% of the people who have the disease do not know their status, according to some estimates. Many patients, discover their diagnosis accidentally while donating blood or undergoing medical screening for other ailments.

“For hepatitis, we‘re applying the lessons learned from the HIV programme,“ he said.

WHO supported the country in developing policy and guidance documents to prevent and treat viral hepatitis across the five core intervention areas; vaccination, prevention of mother to child transmission, blood and injection safety, harm reduction and hepatitis B and C testing and treatment. „Nigeria has established capacity for viral hepatitis response at all levels, including strategies centred on primary health care and universal health coverage.

“Only 36% of people infected with hepatitis C are diagnosed, while just 20% receive curative treatment. The five-year survival rate for liver cancer is a mere 20%,“ the state coordinator represented by the public health officer WHO, Dr Aisha Kadai said.

Also speaking, Borno State commissioner for health and human resources, Prof. Baba Malum Gana, reiterated the state government‘s commitment to combating hepatitis through collaborative efforts with WHO and other partners.

He said the government will prioritise creating awareness among the public as a crucial step in the fight against hepatitis.

“We have collaborated with WHO with the aim of educating citizens about the causes, symptoms, and prevention methods of the disease, ultimately reducing its prevalence in the state,“ he explained.