Nasarawa State government has begun free screening and treatment for hepatitis for no fewer than 78,000 indigent persons in the state. Dr Emmanuel Akabe, the state’s Deputy Governor, inaugurated the exercise on Friday in Doma Local Government Area of the state. He said that free medical outreach was organised by the State government in collaboration with Doctors from the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi.
According to the deputy governor, the gesture is targeted at people in rural communities in keeping with the determination of Gov. Abdullahi Sule-led administration to provide affordable healthcare services to the people, especially the poor and vulnerable. He explained that the choice of Doma for the inauguration of the exercise was as a result of the high prevalence rate of hepatitis in the area in recent time.
“Records have shown that the prevalence rate of hepatitis in the state and particularly Doma LGA was above the national prevalence rate. “The national prevalence rate indicated two out of every 100 persons, but for Nasarawa is 11 out of 100 persons, while in Doma LGA it’s 15 out of 100 persons. “The burden in our state is very high and worrisome, hence the governor directed that it should be tackled using every government machinery.
“Already, as a state, we have a robust programme on the elimination of hepatitis before 2030 in line with the target of World Health Organisation (WHO),” Akabe added. The deputy governor also disclosed that the state gover.
