NGO sensitises residents on Hepatitis B, vaccinates 40 

By Edith Igbokwe

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Class to Care, in conjunction with Oshodi-Isolo Local Government has vaccinated 40 people drawn from various leadership categories in the local government against Hepatitis B and trained them on how to prevent it.

The programme, according to the organisation, was part of its effort to further sensitize people in the community to hepatitis B disease.

During the programme organised to commemorate the 2020 World Hepatitis Day, top officers of the local government including the executive committee members, councilors, officials of neighborhood watch, civil defense, vigilante group and others were enjoined  to spread information about the ‘silent killer’ disease.

During the workshop, the trainees were told that the disease could be contracted through blood transfusion or getting in contact with infected blood.

Other ways of contracting the disease, according to the facilitators, include through sweat, sexual intercourse, enlightening them that the disease could kill the affected person by destroying the liver.

To prevent the disease, a person should go for a test and if tested negative, they should take vaccine three times in 60 days with the interval of 30 days.

According to the facilitators, taking the vaccine three time in 60 days would prevent one against contracting the disease in 10 years when the vaccine would be needed to be repeated.

However, if tested positive, the patient would have to go for full treatment in the hospital.

Commenting on the programme, the local government’s Vice Chairman, TPL Daisi Osho said the workshop was highly informative, educative and enlightening.

Osho, who tested negative, , said he had taken his first vaccine and was waiting for the second and third ones in the next 30 and 60 days respectively.

He therefore urged the participants to further take the information to the grassroots to fight against the silent killer disease (hepatitis B) in the community.