At least one person dies every 30 seconds globally as a result of hepatitis.
The prevalence is higher on the African continent, with Nigeria having about 19 million people living with the disease.
Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku is one of the few governors in the country providing free screening and treatment for the disease.
The effort has received a boost with a donation of 40 million Naira worth of hepatitis C drugs from the World Hepatitis Alliance.
Experts say that any child diagnosed with hepatitis B is 80% per cent likely to develop liver cancer in the future.
Very disturbing, is that unlike for HIV, viral hepatitis screening is not readily available for pregnant women.
In Taraba State, hepatitis prevalence is at 15%, and among the states with the highest burden in the country.
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Governor Darius Ishaku has, however, taken deliberate steps to combat the disease, through partnerships that provide free screening, vaccine and treatment, which is a first in the country.
To support the fight against viral hepatitis by the Taraba State Government, the World Hepatitis Alliance has donated hepatitis C drugs worth 40 million Naira to the government, for onward distribution to infected persons.
The President of the Alliance, Danjuma Adda, who is an indigene of Taraba State, and the first African to occupy the office, presented the drugs to Governor Darius Ishaku in Jalingo.
At least 250 thousand persons in Taraba State are projected to be positive for viral hepatitis.
The drug donation is expected to lessen the high cost of hepatitis treatment among the poor, as the disease is not captured in the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
