The President of the World Hepatitis Alliance and founder of Center for Initiative Development (CFID), a Non-Governmental Organization Dr. Danjuma Adda has charged governments at all levels, especially governors in the thirty six state in Nigeria to invest in the health sector rather than just investing on physical infrastructures.
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Dr. Adda who spoke in an interview with Voice of Nigeria Correspondent in Jalingo the Taraba state capital, stressed that most governors in Nigeria gives priority to roads projects and other infrastructural development as a mark for development but neglect the health sector which is also critical in national development.
“Most governors in Nigeria prioritize road projects, Education and other sector, but they need to know that a healthy population is also development, because when the people are unhealthy and are living with terminal disease like Hepatitis, whatever kind of investment made on them may become useless as the can develop liver cancer at anytime, because Hepatitis is the major causes of liver cancer” He said.
He however called on governments at all levels to invest in the elimination of Hepatitis which has immense benefit to the people in the society.
” Investing in the health sector provides benefits to both the government and the people as a healthy work force improves productivity and guarantee returns on investment which also promote the economy of the country”
Dr. Adda further noted that Nigeria was among the first countries in Africa to develop the Hepatitis Strategic plans but failed in its implemention.
“In 2016, Nigeria was among the first countries in Africa to develop the Hepatitis Strategic plans build on the global Health Sector Strategy for viral Hepatitis elimination by the World Health Organization, in which the W.H.O set up a goal to eliminate Hepatitis as a disease of Public health importance by 2030, Nigeria developed a strategy on plans and treatments guidelines but unfortunately it all ended in plans because at the National level there is no funding on Programmes to end Hepatitis expect for the infant birth Vaccine given to children at birth, but there is no funding for diagnosis and treatment, Patients have to pay by themselves and the treatment is very expensive” He Stressed.
He also noted that at his assumption to the role of the President of the World Hepatitis Alliance he has influenced the donation of Hepatitis drugs worth 40 million Naira to the Taraba State government to further boast the state health Programme for the elimination of Hepatitis in the state.
