An NGO, Best Healthy Life Development Initiative (BHELDIN), has urged the Federal government to ensure there is enough awareness to Nigerians at all levels to promote awareness on the dangers of Hepatitis and to support the fights against the disease.
The Director of BHELDIN, Mr Titus Gushibet, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bwari, on the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day.
According to Gushibet, Nigeria loses 3,000 women and children daily to preventable diseases, including Hepatitis, due to poor access to basic health care.
He, therefore, urged governments to increase efforts to fight the spread of the disease by enlightening people about necessary preventive measures.
According to him, Hepatitis is classified into five distinct types; A, B, C, D and E with B and C being particularly prevalent globally.
“I want to call on government, at all levels, to support the cause of fighting Hepatitis; we want Hepatitis free generation, but the major challenge is the lack of finance.
“If they can support agencies, we will not relent; we will carry the message across all nooks and crannies.’’
Gushibet explained that the disease could be transmitted through exposure to infected blood, consumption of contaminated food and drinking water.
He said it could also be transmitted through sweat, saliva, kissing or sharing injection needles or even from mother to child during pregnancy and delivery.
He noted that sensitisation about the dangers of the disease was key to controlling its spread, adding that “it is a silent killer and most people are unaware of their infection’’.
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated annually globally on July 28 and the theme for 2017 is `Eliminate Hepatitis’.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the Liver.
Source:( PM News )
