The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire says 18. 2 million Nigerians were infected with viral hepatitis, as awareness, reporting, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis B and C remained low in the country.
Ehanire said this while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja in commemoration of the 2021 World Hepatitis Day with the theme: “Hepatitis Can’t Wait!”
Palydom investigation shows that Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, showing five common viral hepatitis strains as A, B, C, D, and E, but with a hepatitis G virus identified recently.
Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through contaminated food, water, poor hygiene and close contact with carriers of the virus, while Hepatitis B, C and D are transmitted through blood, sexual intercourse, bodily fluids, kissing, sharing syringes and blades and touching wounds of infected persons.
Hepatitis G being the newly discovered viral hepatitis’ route of transmission is no different from that of B, C and D.
Studies revealed that hepatitis A and E were acute; last for a short time – less than six months – while hepatitis B, C, D and G may progress to chronic, lasting more than six months.
Symptoms of viral hepatitis start from asymptomatic, absence of symptoms, to mild or moderate features such as jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes, poor appetite, malaise and progressing to chronic liver failure.
The minister stressed that Hepatitis remained a disease of public health importance, with the mortality rate from both infections still alarming, in spite of global progress made in addressing the disease.
He stated that 16 million Nigerians were estimated to be infected with Hepatitis B and 2.2 million with Hepatitis C, which represented an estimated prevalence rates of 8.1 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.
“In 2019, 3.8 per cent of the world’s population was living with Chronic Hepatitis B virus infection and 0.75 per cent with Hepatitis C infection,” he added.
The minister described the 2021 theme as apt, while calling for continuous efforts
