The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the spread of hepatitis in the country, even as it called for wider public awareness to curtail the virus.
The resolution to probe the spread of the virus followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Kwamoti Laori (PDP-Adamawa) at plenary in Abuja on Tuesday.
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a variety of infectious viruses and non-infectious agents.
Laori said that hepatitis could lead to a range of health problems, some of which could be fatal, with five main strains known as types A, B, C, D and E.
According to him, types B and C are lethal, causing both acute and chronic diseases in hundreds of millions of people.
He also added that they were altogether the most common causes of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths.
The lawmaker quoted the World Health Organisation’s 2024 Global Hepatitis Report as stating that the number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis was on the increase.
This, he said, had made hepatitis the second leading cause of death globally.
“WHO said this had led to an estimated 1.3 million deaths annually or 3,500 per day, similar to tuberculosis, a top infectious killer, with an estimated 345 million people living with the infection worldwide.
“The reports stated that the larger percent of the global scorecard of infection is found in Africa, where it is estimated that about five to 10 per cent of the population suffered from chronic infection with hepatitis B virus,” he said.
Laori expressed worry that Nigeria was reported to have the highest prevalence rate of hepatitis B and C in Africa.
“The report by WHO and Federal Ministry of Health suggested that more than 20 million people, representing more than 10 per cent of Nigeria’s population, are living with chronic infection of hepatitis B or C,” he said.
The lawmaker said that a greater percentage of the population remained at risk of infection or death from the viral disease.
The house, however, resolved that the federal ministry of health and other relevant agencies should make testing, vaccination and treatment mandatory for children below five years.
This, according to the lawmakers, is to prevent mother-to-child transmission as well as ensure that safety standards were adhered to both in public and private health care facilities across the country.
The house said that this was aimed at containing and preventing further spread of hepatitis.
The house also mandated the federal ministry of information and national orientation and other relevant agencies to create awareness to promote testing, vaccination and treatment as well as prevent the spread of the disease in the country.
The lawmakers also mandated its Committees on Healthcare Services, Information and National Orientation, and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
The house directed the committee to report back within three weeks for further legislative action.