By Gami Tadanyigbe
Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF), in collaboration with Optimum Vaccine Limited and Daisy Oak Foundation, all NGO’s, have called on Nigerians to go for regular hepatitis check-ups and get vaccinated to save lives.
The organisations made the call, during a free hepatitis, malaria test and treatment at Karshi Community to commemorate the World Hepatitis Day marked by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Hepatitis Day is marked annually on July 28 as a global hepatitis strategy, endorsed by all WHO Member States, aimed at reducing new hepatitis infections by 90 per cent and deaths by 65 per cent between 2016 and 2030.
Mrs Kiema Ogunlana, the Program Director for Sam Empowerment Foundation, in an interview with NAN shortly after the outreach, said the test would afford the people the opportunity to know their status and get vaccinated for healthy living.
Ogunlana attributed the increasing rate of hepatitis to low awareness, low funding for hepatitis programmes and stigmatisation of infected persons.
According to her, the organisation’s are commitment to improving the quality of life of those infected with the disease through regular tests, counselling, sensitisation and vaccination.
“We want people to know their status; those who tested negative would be vaccinated to check and reduce the spread of the disease.
“It is our belief that this intervention will assist the people to know their status and take precautionary measures to avert escalating their health conditions,” she said.
The program director said that the NGO had offered free tests and vaccines to majority of people in the country, saying that the outreaches were its modest contributions toward addressing health challenges among the poor.
Mr Philip Ameh, the MD/CEO of Optimum Vaccine Limited, said that hepatitis virus kills faster than HIV/AIDS and about one million persons die each year from the disease.
Ameh said Optimum Vaccine Limited, was bringing healthcare closer to the people, especially those at the grassroots and called on members of the public to go for regular check-ups to know their status early enough.
According to him, An Optimum Health Requires An Optimum Attention, therefore, early diagnosis and vaccination can go a long way to reduce the spread in the country.
However, he, defined hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and noninfectious agents thar can lead to liver failure.
A representative of Daisy Oak Foundation, on her part called on all Nigerians to go for regular hepatitis check-ups and get vaccinated for healthy living.
Mrs Cecilia Akawu and Hadiza Ahmed, who spoke on behalf of other beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to the organisations for giving them the opportunity to know their status and get vaccinated at no cost. (NAN)