The Head of Prevention, department of Public Health in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Chukwuma Anyaike said about 20 million Nigerians are infected with the Hepatitis B and C virus.
Dr Anyaike stated this at a one-day stakeholders' advocacy workshop on Viral Hepatitis awareness organised by the Yakubu Gowon Foundation in Abuja.
With the survey, one in every 12 Nigerians is infected with either of the virus.
From the survey, Kano State has the highest number of people infected with the B variant of the virus while Kwara State has the highest number of people with Hepatitis C.
He said the virus is a very big public health issue in the country with many Nigerians now at the risk of developing cirrhosis and cancer of the liver.
Former Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon said Nigeria should consider the spread of the virus a national emergency.
Gowon who was chairman at the occasion said the prevalence rate of Hepatitis was about double the national HIV prevalence rate.
No comments:
Post a Comment