The Ondo state government weekend reiterated its determination to reposition the healthcare delivery services in the state towards improving and sustaining the the health standard of the citizenry.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo Ajaka, said the state government is in the process of securing additional finance running into several billions from development partners to be used to enhance health services in the state.
He stated this during the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day with the theme: “It is time to act.”
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The commissioner described hepatitis as a viral infection that targets the liver, causing inflammation and affecting its ability to function properly, adding that the liver is a very important organ in the body that is responsible for several functions, including breakdown of food and drugs and production of blood among others and any disease of the liver has dire consequences.
He said: “There are several types of hepatitis, but the commonest ones which are of public health concerns are hepatitis A, B, C & E. Hepatitis A & E are transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food or water. It is often associated with poor sanitation while Hep B & C are usually transmitted, spread through contact with infectious body fluids, such as blood and sexual fluids through practices (similar to transmission of HIV virus), such as sexual acts, bold transfusion and sharing of contaminated needles and transmission from mother to child sharps among others.”
He emphasised on prevention which is hinged on well-established strategies like immunisation, compulsory screening of blood and blood products, strict guidelines on sterilisation of medical instruments, and ban on reuse of needles.
He stated further that, “the clinical features of hepatitis can vary widely as some individual may not even experience any clinical features, while others may experience mild or severe symptoms. It can also be acute illness which may resolve within days or weeks or progress to chronic illness. The common features include: Fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice.”
The health commissioner advised pregnant women to always insist on screening for Hep B and encouraged them to deliver in hospital where they can have access to skilled birth attendants and sterile instruments which he said would prevent mother- to -child transmission.