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Nigeria launches guidelines for hepatitis prevention, treatment

Xinhua, July 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Nigerian government has launched the first edition of the National Guidelines for the prevention, treatment, care and control of viral hepatitis in the country.

Minister of Health Isaac Adewole said Thursday at a news conference to mark the 2016 World Hepatitis Day in Abuja that hepatitis was a silent killer and the seventh leading cause of death globally.

He said the campaign aims to highlight the need for Nigerians to know hepatitis and take actions by getting tested and seeking for treatment.

According to WHO, viral hepatitis is responsible for 1.44 million annual deaths, yet it suffers from lack of awareness and political de-prioritization.

Adewole said a population based survey conducted by the federal ministry of health in 2013 revealed that the prevalence of viral hepatitis B and C stands to 11.0 percent and 2.2 percent respectively in Nigeria.

He said about 20 million people were living with the virus in Nigeria and were at risk of developing liver cirrhosis.

The minister said Nigeria has adopted the first ever elimination strategy to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Endit