The Cross River State Ministry of Health is working with Jhpiego to develop an action plan to reduce the spread of viral hepatitis in the state.
Tribune Online It is understood that this follows the passage of the National Health Commission resolution in 2016, which called for the development of state-specific viral hepatitis control plans in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking at a four-day workshop on the development of the viral hepatitis action plan in Calabar, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, said he promised to do everything possible to ensure the success of the project in the state.
He assured the partners that he would facilitate a meeting between them and the Governor, Prince Basi Otu, while noting that the state government was committed to curbing the spread of the deadly disease by allocating adequate resources to implement the plan.
Ayuk pointed out that identifying gaps is an important aspect where stakeholders should study and provide possible solutions to these problems to provide the necessary support to help the country improve healthcare services and build a healthy society.
The Commissioner said 70 per cent of those seeking health services were from rural and informal sectors and asked partners to do their best to participate in the project rather than forcing donors to do everything.
In his speech earlier, the Country Director of Jhpiego Nigeria, Dr. Adetiloye Oniyire, represented by the Project Director, Dr. Victor Adepojuby, exhorted the participants to try their best to come up with a very good plan for the state government. included in its agenda.
Adepoju pointed out possible areas of collaboration with the state: through joint investments, provision of technical assistance to the state, training of health workers and other sources of support to the state, stressing that the state would contribute its quota.
“We are here to help Cross River develop its strategic plan for 2024 to 2026.
Hepatitis B and C are killers that kill more people than HIV and have long been ignored.
“In Cross River State’s elimination roadmap, we will prioritize high-risk groups.
“Our expectation is to develop a final Cross-River State Hepatitis B and C strategic plan that clearly sets out how the state will eliminate hepatitis between now and 2026 and, of course, a costing plan and a resource mobilization plan, Clearly spell out how the state government will mobilize resources inward through budget allocations, executive release of funds, through partners such as Jhpiego and other partners and the commitment of the cross river state government in terms of matching funds as partners alone cannot do this At one point, partners will be expected to take action first, and if they take one step, partners will take two steps, but no steps will be taken if the country does not show financial and political will in the area of hepatitis elimination, he said.
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