Nigeria to improve healthcare by manufacturing vaccine to cure hepatitis.
Hepatitis, a major global public health issue and is an inflammatory condition of the liver. In Nigeria, the endemic disease that has eaten deep into the health fabric, where the recent Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) a Hepatitis B prevalence at 8.1 percent and Hepatitis C at 1.1 percent of Nigeria’s population. This estimates Nigeria’s populace living with Hepatitis at the number of 19 million. The high rate of the prevalence suggests how deeply the virus is spread across the country.
While Nigeria boasts of approximately 51 percent coverage rate of birth-dose hepatitis vaccination, the vaccination program excludes the population that contact this virus on a specific basis. Thus, the need to further improve the healthcare sector towards finding means to curb this endemic. Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Minister for Health has ascertained that Nigeria is to commence the manufacturing of hepatitis vaccines, in a bid to put an end to the hepatitis endemic.
Hepatitis is a threat to public health causing infections and morbidity.
At the flag off of World Hepatitis Day, titled “Bring Hepatitis Care Closer to You”, which is aimed at raising awareness on the virus and encouraging the government and stakeholders to ensure the absolute eradication of this virus, the Minister noted the hepatitis virus to be a threat to public health, especially B and C that are known to cause chronic infections with intense morbidity. He also averred that an estimation of 20 million Nigerians are posed to be infected with hepatitis B or C, as a result of their little perception of the infection.
The imminent danger about this unawareness is that it could develop into liver diseases and cancer, whilst also infecting other people. Osagie compared the spread of the virus to that of HIV, which is also spread by unsafe injection practice and unprotected sexual behaviors. Also, unsafe transfusion of blood, sharing of sharp objects and mother-to-child transmission are also means that fuel the transmission of this disease. According to the World Health Organization, 11 percent of Nigerian patients with Hepatitis B also have Hepatitis D, with the continued spread due to the unavailability of vaccines to curb this virus.
Nigeria’s private sector is ready to produce vaccines.
Though, Hepatitis has no cure, it can be imminently avoided with vaccination and while the World Health Organization aims to reduce this infection by 90 percent in 2030, Dr. Osagie has stated that Nigeria , in collaboration with private sector companies are prepared do to their part by also producing vaccines to prevent this virus. He noted that the country has put plans in place to commence the manufacturing of routine hepatitis vaccine called the Traditional Vaccine.
The minister further averred that the production process is to commence over the next month, which will mark the country as one of the countries to have achieved this feat in a really short span. This idea is targeted at the prevention of mother to child intervention, blood transfusion and injection transmission, as well as diagnosis and treatment. However, he asserted that there was a need to build public awareness by improving the capability of healthcare workers and community engagement, as well as enhancing the public’s access to diagnosis of the virus.
Kadazi acknowledged high cost of treatment as impediment.
The country’s World Health Organization representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo acknowledged the high prevalence of the virus in Nigeria, owing this impediment to the high cost of treatment which have restricted the access to diagnosis and treatment. He however stated that the government, through the introduction of Hepatitis B birth dose and the vaccination at childbirth, have shown commitment towards evenly eradicating this virus. He further promised his commitment to partnering the country to ensure the availability of diagnosis and treatment services to communities where these services are needed.
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It’s a commendable development. Through sensitization and availability of vaccines, these should help curb the spread significantly.
Nigeria is really improving the health sector. If we can manage to produce hepatitis vaccines for hepatitis, which is one of the virus that have been ravaging our health, it really shows our medical personnel and laboratories are really working. They need to be encouraged to further their research inorder to ensure the vaccines are well made and not harmful to the society.
The health sector is one of core sector which serve as more priority because it deal with health, improvement is happen in this sector. Is vaccine for this virus can be create it will save a lot of life and prevent other people from getting the virus also, more improvement need to be occurring
Given the high prevalence rate, it is reasonable to assume that the virus has been widely disseminated across the country; hence, it will be excellent if vaccines can be made available.
Wow, if they can do this and provide a vaccine for hepatitis B, then they deserve to be commended because it’s not an easy feat to achieve. Kudos to them.
The field of medicine has a significant amount of room for development in terms of uncovering causes and treatments for this epidemic of Hepatitis B. The government should help
More needs to be done concerning hepatitis and awareness needs to be taken to our health centers because they are closest to us so far,wow the birth doe of hepatitisb for women is a laudable achievement and more needs to be done.
This a great news and also a nice one from the Nigeria science department because without them they won’t be anyone finding the vaccine for the hepatitis
Nigeria health sectors are doing well. They are really trying, all they need is more support both from government and celebrities who have the money to support . Yes we really need to improve healthcare by manufacturing vaccine to cure hepatitis. Very important
Because Nigerians have a limited understanding of the hepatitis B infection and its symptoms, the country’s population is at risk for contracting it.
It was necessary to raise awareness among the general public by enhancing the capabilities of healthcare staff and encouraging community involvement.
It is of the utmost importance that the government take steps to expand the public’s access to diagnostic testing for the hepatitis B virus so that individuals may quickly determine whether or not they are infected with the virus.
This is a great improvement, it will reduce the risk of exposing babies to hepatitis B. They should encourage mothers to collect this vaccine for their kids when they just give birth.
It will be good if they can produce this vaccine, it will go a long way in reducing the cases of hepatitis. But they should ensure the double check the vaccine after producing it, to ensure it wouldn’t have side effect on people.
Good one from the government; now they just need to provide more financial support to our health sector so they will be able to handle other viruses that are rampant nowadays.
I’m glad that our country health sector is taking this bold step to reduce the cases of hepatitis. The health workers should ensure they create awareness when this vaccine has been produced, so those interested will be able to collect it.
Due to the high incidence of the virus in Nigeria, as well as the high cost of therapy, which has hindered patients’ ability to receive diagnosis and treatment, the government ought to make medical services more affordable for the general populace.
The production of vaccines for different disease in Nigeria is overdue, been giant of Africa in term of economy and the population wise.It will reduce cost of buying the vaccine and it will create employment for people.
It is logical to believe that the virus has spread widely over the nation given the high prevalence rate; thus, it will be fantastic if vaccines can be made available.
One of the greatest weapon against the spread of virus is creation of awareness. The more people know the less it spread. But at this rate the government needs to make vaccines available to avoid a perilous situation.
Pending the availability of vaccines, free diagnoses test and first hand treatment should be organized so as to discern the infected from those that are not to avoid further spread of the virus.
Nigeria is really improving the health sector. If we could manage sensitize our people and make vaccines available, these should help curb the spread of the virus.
This is a good development in our health sector, Nigeria has a high number of people living with hepatitis.
One key factor to make this a successful one is funding, either from the government or investors. If adequate funding can be provided then the vaccines will be avoidable.
Hepatitis B and C are very dangerous disease which when infected can affect the liver of the body. Awareness need to created since these disease doesn’t have a cure. Thanks to the vaccine that is being produce here in Nigeria. This will curb it spread to others.
Nigeria should be proud of this deal. We are approved for the production of Hepatitis vaccines in the country. This should create job opportunity for Nigerians and boast the economy. Our health sectors would benefits from this as well. Maybe this is the opening door for the country by which the WHO, foreign investors and stakeholders can influence our nation by investing here.
The health care sector of Nigeria manufacturing the hepatic B and C vaccine is a great news. Hepatic B and C disease doesn’t have a cure as at now. I hope the cure will be discover soonest. There is the to create widespread awareness to inform every Nigerian about it danger to our health.