The District 9125 Governor for Rotary International, Rotn. Jumoke Bamigboye yesterday said Rotary will join forces with the government and other health organizations to end Hepatitis in Nigeria like poliomyelitis
She said over 1.3million people are dying globally from the various types of Hepatitis with 325million affected,
She said since Hepatitis is preventable, Nigerians should come out en masse to know their health status.
Bamigboye, who spoke at the launch of World Hepatitis Day by the Rotary Club of Abuja Metro in Jabi District of Abuja, said the virus is a silent killer Nigerian must not joke with.
She said: “Hepatitis is a silent killer with more than 1.3m deaths a year and it affects more than 325m people globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.8 million people in the world are on lifelong treatment for Hepatitis B.
“Rotary International is determined to end Hepatitis infections like we did to poliomyelitis.
“We are out now screening Nigerians who have this silent killer. We also know that just like COVID-19 we are talking about, most people are having the virus without knowing that they are infected, so also is Hepatitis A, B, C, and D.
“So many people are out there with the virus, not detected, and dying silently. We need to make this known, we need to make this campaign, we need to get Nigerians to be screened and treated.
“When those with Hepatitis are treated within two to three months, they will recover and we will not be having people dying because of the virus.
“As Rotarians, we support the campaign against Hepatitis. Our target is to get the Hepatitis level zero in Nigeria. We don’t want Nigerians to die from this preventable virus.
“We join Nigerians to join in the campaign against Hepatitis. They should not be afraid of being screened to know their health status.”
The President of Rotary Club of Abuja Metro, Rotn. Iheazor Obioha, said: “We decided to join the rest of the world in embarking on an awareness campaign to end Hepatitis which is killing many who are not aware that they are infected.
“We want to save millions in Nigeria from this liver disease. It is clear that adherence to basic hygiene can cure the disease.”
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