Expert tasks FG on viral hepatitis, says 20m Nigerians at risk

A gastroenterology specialist, Professor Abraham Orkurga Malu of Jos University Teaching Hospital, has called on the federal government to take decisive action through proper funding to curb the menace of hepatitis in the country.

Malu, who was a guest lecturer at a colloquium organized by the Bayero University, Kano in honour of the President, National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria, Professor Musa Muhammad Borodo, said about 10 percent of Nigeria’s population, majority of whom are economically active are presently living with the deadly viral disease.

He described viral hepatitis as one of the major global health problems with more than 500 million patients chronically infected, causing over one million deaths per year globally.

He lamented that despite the initial steps taken by the federal government when it first signed the Global Health Sector Strategy (GHHS) in 2016 to eliminate Hepatitis by 2030, through pilot trainings and testing of the training modules, “there is no federally-funded hepatitis prevention and treatment programme (except for birth-dose vaccination) to reach critical, mass population of Nigerians with cost effective life-saving treatment.

He further expressed concern over poor orientation about the disease among Nigerians even though it has been the leading infectious cause of death, claiming lives of many Nigerians each year.

“As a consequence, most of Nigerians estimated to be living with viral hepatitis do not know that they are infected, placing them at greater risk for severe, even fatal complications from the disease and increasing the likelihood that they will spread the virus to others,” he said.

According to him, “Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest burden of viral hepatitis with a working prevalence of 11% of Hepatitis B and 2.2% of Hepatitis C, implying that over 20million and 4million persons are living with chronic Hepatitis B and C respectively.

He urged the government to pick a leave from Taiwan and Egypt experiences who through proper funding have been able to surmount the menace of Hepatitis B and C respectively.

“Egypt has villages that were ravaged by Hepatitis C, but that are now declared Hepatitis C free. Taiwan had virtually the highest prevalence of liver cancer from Hepatitis B, but through immunization, they have reduced this to very low levels. So the problems are not insurmountable. Other countries have done very well; we too can do as well. It is political will, finances and enlightenment that we need to tackle the challenges,” he added.

Malu was optimistic that with N165billion worth of drugs, Hepatitis C could be eliminated from the country.