The House of Representatives has asked federal government through the Federal Ministry of Health to make hepatitis testing, vaccination, and treatment mandatory for children below five years.
Gatekeepers News reports that the lawmakers said this will ensure the containment and prevention of the spread of the virus.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Kwamoti Laori, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker from Adamawa state.
Laori said “Viral hepatitis is highly communicable from mother to child through child delivery, contact with infected blood, infected body fluids such as saliva, vaginal fluids, and semen during unsafe sexual intercourse, contact with infected injections, or exposure to sharp instruments, as well as from infected to uninfected children between the ages of 0-5 years.”
The lawmaker said that despite a $3 billion immunisation programme covering 2018 to 2028, most infected patients are yet to benefit from the available vaccine and effective treatment.
He said as a result of this, new infections from mother to child and from one infected child to other uninfected children ages zero to five years have spiraled, further increasing the spread of viral hepatitis and risk of death from the lethal infection throughout the country.
The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house who presided over the plenary.
The house asked Ministry of Information and National Orientation and relevant agencies to create awareness on testing, vaccination, treatment, and prevention of the spread of viral hepatitis in the country.
It also asked the committee on healthcare services to investigate the alarming rate of viral hepatitis.
