While countries such as Rwanda, Uganda and Benin Republic have established free testing for hepatitis, access to hepatitis testing and treatment in Nigeria comes at a cost.
According to her, inflammation is how the liver “responds to any dangerous or injurious substance it is exposed to.”
“The two types of hepatitis B infection are acute and chronic, and they are differentiated by their duration, that is, how long the individual remains infected with the virus. In acute infection, the virus is cleared from the body within six months from when the person first got the virus. But in chronic infection, the body is unable to clear it, and the virus persists or remains permanently in the body. This is the type that can cause liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,” Mrs Odeghe added.
According to Ms Moeti, about 4.5 million African children under five years old are infected with chronic hepatitis B, “reflecting an enormous 70 per cent of the global burden in this age group.” , Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Abiodun Jemilohun, told PREMIUM TIMES that the figure has since risen above the minister’s claim.
“We have the tools to reach this target but only if all the countries commit to making sure that they have access to them. So let’s get to work because hepatitis can’t wait.” Ms Moeti said; “To guide action on hepatitis, 28 African countries now have strategic plans in place and at the global level WHO guidelines were launched last year on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. The WHO Regional Office for Africa is developing training materials in order to help countries to implement the five hepatitis core interventions and decentralize the diagnosis and treatment.
Speaking on the development, Mr Jemilohun, said it would cost about N5,000 , one-sixth of Nigeria’s minimum wage, to be tested for hepatitis B and C. He added that the availability of health experts to attend to such cases is another major challenge, saying less than 100 gastroenterologists are available to the country’s estimated 200 million people.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
World Hepatitis Day: Undiagnosed, untreated hepatitis kills 124,000 Africans annually - WHOHepatitis is a silent epidemic with more than 90 million people living with the disease in Africa.....................................
Read more »
Ogbeh to chair SMF maiden lecture | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsFormer Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, will chair the inaugural lecture in memory of the former Minister of Science and Technology, Gen. Samuel Momah, holding tomorrow in Abuja.
Read more »
Kaduna govt, UNDP launch CEWERS app | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsThe Kaduna State Peace Commission (KSPC), in collaboration with Vatebra Limited and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has launched Conflict Early...
Read more »
Body Language | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsThe Latest news in Nigeria and world news. The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper brings you the latest headlines, opinions, political news, business reports and international news.
Read more »
Konga bags industry recognition | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsKonga, a composite e-commerce platform, has been named the most innovative company of the year. The award was presented to the management of Konga at the 2021 Titans of Tech Hall of Fame Awards held at the weekend in Lagos. Konga beats competition from other players such as Payporte, Jumia and Jiji.ng to win the […]
Read more »
FUPRE VC canvasses partnership on funding of education | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsVice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE), Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, has urged the Federal Government to partner reputable public-spirited individuals...
Read more »