Posted on: Wed 29-07-2020

The Ogun State Government says no fewer than 567,000 residents of the state are suffering from Hepatitis B. The government explained that viral hepatitis “is an inflammation of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including liver cancer, and is said to be the second killer infectious diseases after tuberculosis.”

Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Abeokuta to commemorate this year’s World Hepatitis  Day, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, whose statement was read by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Adesanya Ayinde, raised the alarm over the rising number of hepatitis patients, adding that the disease received no attention in past.

Coker said Nigeria was one of the countries with the highest burden of the virus with about 29 million patients.

She, however, said the 567,000 statistics recorded for the state was equivalent to 8.1 per cent of the state’s total population of seven million.

Source: Punch

---

---