Hepatitis Day: Nasarawa Targets 124,000 Persons for Treatment

Igbawase Ukumba

The Nasarawa State government last week said it has an ambitious target of treating about 124,000 persons of hepatitis disease in the state within five years.

The state Commissioner for Health, Ahmed Yahaya, stated this at a press conference in Lafia to commomerate the 2022 World Hepatitis Day, adding that 18,429 persons have tested positive for disease in the state so far.

According to the commissioner, “currently, a total of 181,946 have been screened and 18,429 persons have tested positive for the disease.

“4,160 persons have been assessed for viraemia and 2,451 have been found viraemia and all have been put on treatment. Some of them (those with HCV) have been cured.”

He continued that Nasarawa State burden of the hepatitis disease stood at about 16 percent and 13.2 percent sero-prevalence has clearly exhibited a disproportionately high preference of hepatitis B and C as compared to the national average.

“It is the high burden of this dreaded disease in the state that led the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health with support from Clinton Health Initiative established the State’s Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (SVHCP) creating an enabling policy environment to drive access to HBV/HCV diagnostic and treatment services,” Yahaya explained.