Nigeria

Rotary Club Of Warri Holds Hepatitis Zero Awareness Campaign

Julio Frasneli

The Rotary Club of Warri, under District 9141of Rotary International, on Friday July 26, held Hepatitis B zero awareness campaign in Warri, as part of efforts to sensitize people of the inherent dangers of the decease, how to prevent it as well as get cure.


Cross section of Rotary Club of Warri Medical team: Rotarian Bridget Ideji (right) Rotarian J.A Edun (left) & others at Central Hospital Warri

In an exclusive interview, the 41st and second female President of Rotary Club of Warri, Rotarian Bridget Ideji, told Our Senior Correspondent that the campaign which was in partnership with Rotary International, will assist those with Hepatitis B disease with free drugs.

She noted that Hepatitis B which is a liver disease, should be treated as soon as it is detected.

Rotarian Ideji stressed the need for people to pay adequate attention to their health and go for routine medical check- up, so as to detect any ailment at early stage.

Rotarian Bridget Ideji

 

She commended people of Warri for their massive turn out during the exercise and assured of provision of drugs as well as efforts to complete the Physiotherapy building at the Central Hospital, Warri.

Chairman of the Hepatitis Zero awareness campaign, Rotarian Sheriff Mulade urged those resident in Warri and environs to take advantage of the exercise.

Font: http://freshangleng.com

The Rotary Club of Agbor in collaboration with Rotary Club of Boji Boji Urban and Rotaract Club of State School of Nursing observed the 2019 Hepatitis Zero Awareness Campaign

Julio Frasneli

The Rotary Club of Agbor in collaboration with Rotary Club of Boji Boji Urban, Rotary Club of Ogwashi-Uku Gateway and Rotaractors of Rotaract Club of State School of Nursing, Agbor, observed the 2019 Hepatitis Zero Awareness Campaign of World Eradication Week.

The free medical exercise featured screening of blood for the deadly Hepatitis B & C, door to door advocacy and awareness campaigns.

It will be recalled that it was done in partnership with the Rotarian Action Group for Hepatitis Eradication.

The Flag off was done at Ika South Local Government Secretariat by the Executive Chairman who was represented by his Vice, Hon. Mrs. Agboma. She thanked the Presidents and members of the Rotary Clubs involved in this kind gesture, adding that the exercise was in tune with the Delta State Governor’s agenda “Healthcare For All Deltans”.

She pleaded for extension of the exercise to enable more persons in the rural areas to benefit from the programme.

In same vein, the Chairman of Ika North-East Local Government who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Mrs. Kelechukwu, thanked Rotarians and urged the people of the local government to take advantage of this opportunity to get tested.

The highlight of the occasion was testing and rendering counseling services to the mammoth crowd that turned out for the event at no cost to them.

The exercise continues tomorrow in both local government council areas.

Rotary to test, treat 1 million for hepatitis

Julio Frasneli

The global philanthropic club, Rotary International, has started a campaign to screen and treat at least a million Nigerians for hepatitis in one week.

In Abuja, the Rotary Club of Abuja, Maitama has set up sites for hepatitis testing in different districts under its coverage, where health workers and volunteers will screen residents for hepatitis throughout the week.

Its campaign, tagged “Hepatitis Zero—Find the Missing Million” comes amidst concern that the prevalence of hepatitis in Nigeria is misunderstood.

The prevalence of hepatitis B stands between 11% and 13% – that’s around 20 million Nigerians.

For hepatitis C, the prevalence is 3% – that’s around three million Nigerians affected.

“That’s more than the total population of nearby countries like Togo and Benin—and what are we doing about it?” said Oye Oyewo, director of the Rotarian Action Group for Hepatitis.

“People look at the percentages and don’t appreciate the magnitude.”

A vaccine exists to prevent hepatitis C. Once an infection has set in, treatment could cost as much as $90,000—that’s N32.4 million.

The campaign will provide vaccine for residents who test negative, while those who test positive will be linked to health facilities for treatment, all funded by Rotary.

“We expect heavy campaigns from the government. If you turn on your radio, you should be able to hear something about hepatitis. If it is handled as HIV was handled, things will change,” said Oyewo.

Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. Different causes can be responsible, but the concern is when a virus is the cause of the inflammation.

The virus can be contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse and bodily fluids. It is considered so potent, it can last on surfaces for days longer than HIV.

Nearly three in four cases of liver cancer are linked to hepatitis. The disease is considered dangerous because it shows no particular symptoms other than symptoms that are common in malaria.

Hepatitis B and C are the deadliest but we don’t take it serious because there are no symptoms in carriers,” said Oyewo. “Any time you have symptoms, then it is ready to kill.”

Physician and Rotarian, Dr Frank Odafen, said preventing an infection is both better and cheaper.

“In our different communities, we should be advocates to make people go and get tested. When positive, bring them to the Rotarian Action Group.”

The club’s president, Eucharia Ekweozoh, said Rotary was committed to ensuring more Nigerians get tested to head off the mortality and morbidity that comes with hepatitis.

Font: Daily Trust

Rotary Club, ACPN Conduct Free Medical Screening for Lagos Residents

Julio Frasneli

In commemoration of the annual World Hepatitis Day, usually celebrated on 28 July of every year, Rotary Club of Gbagada, Lagos, District 9110, Nigeria, in partnership with the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), took hepatitis awareness campaign to three strategic locations in Lagos State, where they screened patients and administered vaccines free of charge.

The hepatitis campaign which took place at the National Secretariat of ACPN, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos and Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada Lagos simultaneously on 30 and 31 of July, 2019, will also hold at the New Iju Agege Garage, Agege, Lagos on 1 August, to enlighten and screen hundreds of patients as well as administer vaccines free of charge.

 


A cross-section of members of ACPN and Rotary Club of Gbagada, Lagos, District 9110, Nigeria, at the event.

Speaking with Pharmanews at the screening, President, Rotary Club of Gbagada, Lagos, District 9110, Rotr. Akinwale Odutola, said they embarked on the initiative in collaboration with ACPN, as a means of performing their Corporate Social Responsibility for the benefit of citizens in those areas.

According to him, viral hepatitis has remained a major killer of people with a vast majority of patients unaware of their infection status until it becomes chronic or fatal, saying viral hepatitis has been implicated for more death in Africa than those caused by AIDS, Malaria or Tuberculosis.

Speaking further, Odutola further lamented the increase in the number of people with the disease, stating that it is due to the ignorance of the people on its mode of transmission, prevention and treatment.


Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, undergoing screening during the programme.

 

 

In a show of gratitude, Rotr. Odutola praised and commended the leadership of ACPN and that of Gbagada General Hospital, for creating an enabling environment for the hepatitis awareness campaign project. He also lauded the efforts of ACPN, for the provision of vaccines and other logistic needs.

Speaking in the same vein, Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, former chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos State Branch, who also doubled as the chairman, Committee on Hepatitis Zero World Eradication Project, Rotary Club of Gbagada, Lagos, District 9110, Nigeria, noted that over 300 million people are living with viral hepatitis unaware worldwide, saying without finding those people, and linking them to care, millions will continue to suffer globally.

Speaking further, Olubowale, a renowned community pharmacist, who is also a key member of Rotary Club, defined hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver, which can either be self- limiting or progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis or liver cancer.

According to him, the theme of this year’s World Hepatitis Day “Find the Missing Millions” is strategic as its coming at a time there is need to create awareness among Nigerians on how to prevent hepatitis spread, saying there is need to act now in order to stop people from dying needlessly from the disease.

Speaking earlier, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, national chairman, ACPN, while admitting that the challenge of eradicating the disease had remained a tall order for mankind, however added that the global search for strategies to subdue the scourge, especially in Nigeria, necessitated the partnership with Rotary Club of Gbagada in order to organize the programme.

Highlighting the challenges currently facing Nigeria in tackling hepatitis, Adekola lamented that the cost of hepatitis test was out of reach of low-income Nigerians, saying many patients had abandoned treatment due to lack of fund or unaffordability of treatment cost.

According to the ACPN boss, the effort put in place by the association in collaboration with Rotary Club, Gbagada, by taking up the challenge to confront the scourge through mass awareness, enlightenment and screening, will yield positive result and as well as reduce the prevalence of hepatitis in the state.

Font: Pharmalink

Rotary clubs sensitise public on hepatitis, tree planting

Julio Frasneli

Members of the Rotary Club of Lekki Golden, District 9110 last week held a public health sensitization workshop for residents of Elegusi Ikate community of Lagos State. The club, in partnership with Eti-Osa healthcare centre also conducted a free medical test on Hepatitis, as part of efforts to eradicate the virus.

President of the club, Rtn. Winifred Igweonwu, said the event was to create awareness for the deadly Hepatitis B and C. According to her, “the outreach is one of many that the club is carrying out in pursuit of its disease prevention and treatment programme, which is among the six areas of focus of Rotary International.

Meanwhile, another club in District 9110, Rotary Club of Ajuwon, at the weekend held its tree planting project tagged ‘save the planet, plant a tree’ at Isokan Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in Ojokoro area of Lagos.

President of the club, Rtn. Henry Akinbobola, said the exercise echoes the club’s desire of “transforming our communities into a cleaner, greener, healthier, and an environmentally-sustainable entity. We all know the effects of global warming and the constant rise in the temperature of the atmosphere around the world. Planting of trees is one of the ways to mitigate the effects of this global phenomenon.

“Aside from creating a peaceful and aesthetically pleasing environment, they improve the quality of life by bringing natural elements and wildlife habitats into urban settings. I hereby appeal to everyone to imbibe the practice of planting a tree because of the many gains it plays in our daily existence.”

Fonte: The Guardian