The Kwara Commissioner for Health, Amina El-Imam, says the state government will commence screening for hepatitis on Tuesday, targeting 5,000 people.

The commissioner made this known in Ilorin on Monday at an event to commemorate the 2024 World Hepatitis Day (WHD), organised by the Kwara Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHD is annually observed on July 28 to raise awareness about hepatitis, a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, and to encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing inflammation of the liver both acutely and chronically, and can kill a person. In some countries, hepatitis B is the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and may also cause liver cancer.

The commissioner explained that the screening would be conducted at various tertiary institutions, marketplaces and healthcare facilities in the state.

According to her, there will also be referral and linkage to appropriate health facilities after the screening for medication and treatment.

Ms El-Imam observed that “people know more about HIV/AIDS than hepatitis, which is more infectious than HIV.”

She added that the mode of transmission for HIV is similar to that for hepatitis and that the designated centres for HIV treatment are also assigned for hepatitis.

The commissioner advised people against harmful cultural practices, including scarification, tribal marks, tattoos, circumcision, barbing and female genital mutilation (FGM), that predispose people to contracting hepatitis.

“Some of these are cultural practices that can cause harm. No single race, tribe, or culture is 100 per cent perfect. Do not practice culture that can cause harm,” she said.

Earlier in his presentation, Abdulfatai Olokoba, a professor of medicine at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, said social and cultural practices that constitute risk include bloodletting, manicures, pedicures, and having multiple sexual partners.

He warned that virtually everybody is at risk of contracting hepatitis, including healthcare workers, butchers and students.

The expert advised people to avoid risky practices while also advocating behavioural change and screening of the disease to determine its status.

(NAN)