In a bid to halt the silent
epidemic being caused by Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), the House of Representatives
has called for the formulation of a national policy to combat its prevalence
with an infection rate of 13.7 percent.
It sought for a policy similar to
that on HIV/AIDS as hepatitis already affects 23 million Nigerians, making the
country one of the those with the highest incidences of HBV infection globally.
This was sequel to a motion by
Hon. Aishatu Jibril Dukku (Gombe APC) who called for the creation of public
awareness on hepatitis and the integration of the Hepatitis B vaccine into the
National Immunization Programmes.
"Despite the fact that
Hepatitis B causes chronic liver disease, it has received little or no attention
in Nigeria, thereby making it a major public health hazard in the
country," she said.
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