By
Abubakar Ibrahim
As the world celebrates the 2024 Hepatitis day, people have been advised to maintain regular checks on their health, so as to remain negative to the viral desease.
The advise was given by health practitioners during an event to commemorate the day organized by the Adamawa State Ministry of Health in collaboration with some partners, held in Yola.
The Commissioner Ministry of Health Adamawa State Chief Felix Tangwami represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Pharmacist Zirrra Mathias said the day was important to raise awareness on the hepatitis and the importance of its awareness on public health, noting that the prevalence of hepatitis globally is alarming, with over 38.2 percent in Adamawa State acoording to 2019 statistics with varying rates across zones in the state.
He said the aim of the event was to turn hepatitis from an unknown, undiagnosed health issue to one that is known and treated, saying that the theme for this year’s celebration “Time for Action” test, treat and vaccinate calls for urgent need for communities to know their status in order to seek for medication to prevent themselves from being affected.
Also speaking at the occasion Dr. Muhammad Bello Hamman, who is the State Aid and Viral Hepatitis Control Program Coodinator in Adamawa, said viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death and it is a desease of public health importance adding that recet statistics shows that over two hundred and ninety five million people globally are living with hepatitis and majority of these people are not even aware that they are living with the desease which is consuming their lives overtime.
On his part the representative of Word Health Organization WHO in Adamawa Dr. Ehemen Terseer, said the importance of the day cannot be overemphasized, pointing out that shrinking of the liver and cancer are the major symptoms of mostly hepatitis B which is more prevalent in Africa and called on parents to vaccinate their children immediately they are borne.
While speaking on the increasing number of cases of hepatitis, Sunyasemeni Ezra the executive director of JENESO health development initiative, said according to WHO 3500 people die from hepatitis B and C infections every day, which means around one hepatitis death every 30 seconds.
He therefore advised people to always get tested and vaccinated as according to him, prevention is better than cure.
