The Nasarawa State Government has said that no fewer than 23,224 residents of the state have tested positive for viral Hepatitis B and C.
The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Dr Janet Angbazo, disclosed this during a press briefing held in commemoration of the 2023 World Hepatitis Day, tagged “We are not waiting, one life, and one liver,” in Lafia on Monday.
She explained that out of a total of 229,682 residents screened, 23,224 tested positive for the disease.
Angbazo said some of the infected persons were presently taking treatments in government hospitals across the 13 local government areas of the state.
She said, “I am here today to bring attention to the high burden of Hepatitis B and C in Nasarawa State, which surpasses the national average.
“Recognising the urgency of this issue, the Nasarawa State government has committed to a five-year hepatitis B and C elimination plan. This ambitious plan aims to treat approximately 124,000 individuals within the next five years.”
The Permanent Secretary further appealed to the general public to make themselves available for the testing of HBV and HCV in government hospitals across the 13 LGAs of the state, and avoid the use of unsterilised sharp objects, sharing of needles/syringes, and the transfusion of unscreened blood/blood products.
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