As part of activities lined up for the celebration of this year’s World Hepatitis Day, Anambra State Government has concluded arrangements to screen and vaccinate pregnant women at ante-natal clinics across the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala, who disclosed this during a media briefing to mark the event in Awka, said the government was working in line with the Theme for the celebration “Hepatitis Free Future”.
According to him, “the State Ministry of Health is planning to screen and vaccinate pregnant women at ante-natal clinics across the three geopolitical zones of the state for the purpose of ensuring hepatitis free generation in Anambra”.
He described the commemoration as the best accessible platform of spreading the awareness and ensuring people get to know their status especially the most at risk.
The Commissioner stated that the state had in collaboration with Rotary International conducted a two-day free screening on hepatitis B and C, testing a total of 531 persons with two positive cases.
He added that the State was among the first state in the nation to implement National Hepatitis Policy by its launch of State Hepatitis Program.
“A statewide screening and awareness creation across the three geopolitical zones was conducted on hepatitis B and C with the support from State Government and Implementing Partner”, he said.
He said the introduction of the State Health Insurance Agency ASHIA had also helped positive patients to get treatment at an affordable rate.
Source: VON
