Health experts have called on Nigerians to embrace regular hepatitis screening and vaccination, warning that low awareness and late diagnosis continue to fuel the burden of the disease across the country.
The call was made on Tuesday during the World Hepatitis Day outreach organized by Nisa Garki Hospital in partnership with the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Zolon Healthcare Limited, MEGA, URAH, Clinton Health Access Initiative and Abbott at the Sa’peyi Palace in Garki, Abuja.
The one-day outreach, themed “Early detection saves lives. Know your status,” featured free hepatitis, HIV and malaria testing, counselling and public health education, with organizers targeting at least a thousand residents for screening.
Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist at Nisa Garki Hospital, Dr. Justice Igbiti said the outreach was designed to bring health education and screening services closer to underserved communities with limited access to healthcare.
Dr. Igbiti educated participants on the five major types of viral hepatitis, hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, explaining their different modes of transmission, including contaminated food or water, infected blood and other bodily fluids.
He also distinguished between acute and chronic hepatitis, noting that while acute hepatitis is a short-term infection that the body’s immune system can sometimes clear within six months, chronic hepatitis persists beyond six months and can lead to serious complications such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer if left untreated.
He also dispelled the common misconception that people living with hepatitis should avoid eating beans. According to him, beans and other protein-rich foods are important components of a healthy diet and can help support the body’s nutritional needs, stressing that hepatitis patients should maintain a balanced diet rather than eliminate nutritious foods based on myths or misinformation.
Speaking with journalists, he described the community outreach as one of the most effective ways to improve awareness, noting that many Nigerians remain unaware that hepatitis screening is available and that the disease can be prevented or effectively managed when detected early.
He added that hepatitis B is significantly more infectious than HIV and warned that many people only seek medical attention after developing severe liver complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.
According to him, adults who were born before the introduction of routine hepatitis B vaccination should get tested, while newborns should continue to receive vaccination at birth to reduce future infections.
He also noted that although there is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C, the disease can be cured if detected and treated early. He assured that individuals who test positive during the outreach would receive follow-up care at the hospital.
Representing the FCT Mandate Secretary for Health, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Teresa Nwachukwu, commended the organizers, the traditional leaders and community members for supporting the initiative.
She said the FCT Administration is working to eliminate barriers such as cost, stigma and distance that discourage people from seeking healthcare, stressing that knowing one’s hepatitis status could save lives.
Head of Marketing and Communications at Nisa Garki Hospital, Uche Francis, said the decision to hold this year’s awareness campaign within the community instead of the hospital was aimed at reaching people who might otherwise have little access to health information and screening services.
She described hepatitis awareness in Nigeria as inadequate and called for more community-based sensitization, particularly in underserved areas where residents face greater exposure to health risks.
Francis said the outreach also provided free screening for HIV and syphilis, while medications and counselling services were made available to participants where necessary.
Sapeyi of Garki, HRH, Alahaji Usman Ngakupi expressed appreciation to the organizers for bringing healthcare services directly to the community and appealed for more outreach programmes covering other health conditions, including diabetes, as well as greater support to make healthcare more affordable for nearby residents.
Some residents who participated in the screening thanked the organizers for providing free testing and encouraged others to know their health status rather than avoid testing out of fear.
The outreach concluded with a strong turnout for the free screenings, as residents welcomed the initiative and urged government agencies, healthcare providers and development partners to sustain similar community-based health campaigns to promote early diagnosis and improve access to preventive healthcare.
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