Over 20 million Nigerians suffer from hepatitis, which has no cure.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver; there are five major types of hepatitis – hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E. It is caused by toxins, heavy alcohol use, certain medical conditions, and some medications. It is also transferable through direct contact with the blood or body fluid of an infected person. Also, ever since the emergence of the disease, it has been incurable, but is usually managed through proper treatment.
However, the Nigerian Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, at the flag off of 2022 World Hepatitis Day, which had the theme: “Bringing Hepatitis Care Closer To You,” stated that Nigeria will soon commence the production of hepatitis vaccines in order to put an end to its damage in the country. He emphasized that the disease is a public health threat, hepatitis B and hepatitis C especially, causing severe infection alongside attendant morbidity and mortality.
Over 20 million Nigerians have hepatitis B and C.
Currently, more than 20 million Nigerians have been recorded to be infected with hepatitis B and C, which is more as a result of lack of awareness of the disease. Hepatitis, similar to HIV, is usually transmitted through unsafe sexual acts, unsafe injections practices, sharing of sharp objects, unsafe blood transfusion, mother-to-child transmission, and many more. As a result, Nigeria, as a public sector, would be working with the private sector towards the production of the vaccines which are known as traditional vaccines.
According to the minister, by the end of next month, the country will be connected with partners, including those who would work on research and development of the new generation vaccines based on mRNA, so as to begin the work on a new mRNA vaccine collaboration. Asides this, there are some major achievements necessary for meeting up with the 2030 target, which include infant vaccination, blood and injection safety, mother-to-child intervention, harm reduction, diagnosis and treatment.
Nigeria has been achieving success in reduction of children hepatitis.
Having an estimation of the number of Nigerians suffering from the disease, Nigeria expresses its commitment towards the eradication of viral hepatitis by 2030 through massive public awareness. With this, the country will improve the capacity of its health care providers, increase access to diagnosis and treatment, and the improvement of community engagement. In addition, Walter Kadazi Mulombo, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, highlighted that Nigeria has the highest number hepatitis, with a national hepatitis B (HBV) prevalence rate of 8. 1%, and hepatitis C is 1-1, mostly between the age of 15-64.
It has been discovered that many people, even after realizing their state of health, find it difficult to fund the high cost of treatment and out-of-pocket payment, which in return serves as an impediment to proper treatment. In a bid to curb the danger of the disease, Nigeria introduced the hepatitis B Birth dose and the pentavalent (DTP-HepB-Hib) vaccine, since 2004, into routine childhood immunization schedule. With this, Nigeria contributes its quota towards the reduction of hepatitis B in children.
Creation of awareness would reduce hepatitis.
Furthermore, Nigeria has been intentionally screening all donated and transfused blood, while blood products for HBV and HCV has institutionalized safety, together with little precaution, since 2007. Dr. Osagie, therefore, pledges his commitment to partner with the federal government, and see to it that testing and treatment services are made readily available and accessible to the people in the communities. The general awareness would also educate Nigerians on what the disease is all about, so as to prevent themselves from getting infected.
Related Links
CDC: Website
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Awareness is important want a harmful issue occur so people will know about the disease and how to prevent and to treat them self about the disease. If general aware is create it will educate people about the existence of the disease and to prevent from getting infected
We need to create awareness on this harmful disease. A lot of people don’t even know that this kind of disease exist. We need Educate people about the danger
This is a nice development for Nigeria. If we can develop our own hepatitis vaccines ourselves it will help save the stress of spending our money to buy or import them. It will also help to vaccinate alot of children and we are able to immunize them from their young age before they get older.
Creating awareness is vital!… we need to create awareness on this harmful disease and give preventive measures to guide our people so they would get away from it before it goes viral within the country than expected.
This look like one of those articles whereby policies and decisions were made and nothing comes out of it,most of the research institutions where all this development should take are not properly funded and most workers have to leave to greener pasture with is very dangerous to our development and rising population.Goverment should properly fund research institutions to do their job.Government should create more awareness concerning the danger of Hepatitis.
This is a commendable development. People should also be sensitized about the disease
How to prevent it and all of that.
Having our own vaccine production will offer us a huge advantage in terms of accelerating the rate at which the vaccinations spread. This, along with the priority placed on raising awareness, will significantly help reduce the number of diseases.
They really need to produce a vaccine if over 20million are suffering from hepatitis something needs to be done, government needs to be pro active.
Some people don’t even know they have the illness which is very sad because they don’t know about it.
The general awareness campaign would also inform Nigerians about the illness so they can guard against contracting it.
Wow that’s very wonderful because the vaccine will actually help suppress and contain the virus l. Which is what we want.
With this, the country will expand access to diagnosis and treatment, promote community engagement, and strengthen the ability of its health care providers.
Because of this, the nation needs to work on increasing the capabilities of its various health care providers.
With this, Nigeria will adequately contribute to the decrease in childhood hepatitis B cases.
The health sector should ensure they work on the vaccines properly and also ensure it’s absolutely safe before they start administering it to people
It is more likely that Nigerians are infected with hepatitis B and C as a result of a lack of understanding about the disease, as it has been documented that they are.
This shows that there is a massive improve in our health sector because for them to think to producing something like this shows how much they have grown
This is a great news. The health sector of Nigeria can effectively administer vaccine to Nigerian in other to completely reduce the spread of hepatitis virus.
The Nigerian health sector can now effective immunize us against Hepatitis disease which have no cure.It is great new
Workers in the healthcare industry should coordinate a broad awareness effort. This programme would educate Nigerians about the nature of the disease and how they may protect themselves from contracting it.
Increasing availability for diagnosis and treatment as well as improving community engagement, are all things that need to be done if we are going to be successful in lowering the hepatitis rate.