ABUJA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- About 20 million people in Nigeria are now living with hepatitis, a viral disease that causes inflammation of the liver, a public health official said on Tuesday.
Mostly health workers who are exposed to sharp objects in hospitals, as well as those indulging in promiscuity, are infected with the disease, Wisdom Ihejieto, a scribe of the Guild of Nigerian Medical Directors, said.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the current figure, which shows a decrease in the figure given barely a year ago by the government, was collated from all public and private hospitals across the west African country.
He said hepatitis was usually transmitted through oral, sharp objects and sexual intercourse, noting the rate of hepatitis infection had reached an alarming stage and adequate attention.
An inaugural national conference has been slated for May 27 to create more awareness on hepatitis, he added.
Last August, the Nigerian government said more than 22.6 million citizens were living with the disease.
About 30 percent of them were unaware of their status and not taking appropriate measures, said health minister Isaac Adewole, adding the most common types of hepatitis among Nigerians were hepatitis B and C, which could cause liver cirrhosis and cancer.
The transmittable infection is now common among students in secondary and tertiary institutions across the country due to increasing social vices, according to the government's investigation.
