Hepatitis C: Group inaugurates 14-member Advisory Board in Gombe
By Chima Azubuike
Following the increasing rate of Hepatitis C virus infection among people who inject drugs and other high risk populations, no fewer than 14-member Advisory Board was inaugurated on Tuesday in Gombe.
Our correspondent reports that the Board is expected to facilitate and mitigate risk related to reputation, safety security and safeguarding.
Innovate, Involve and Inspire project is a UNITAID-funded research through Frontline AIDS, Education As Vaccine serves as physical host to DAPHO.
The National Coordinator of National AIDS and STDs Control Programme, Dr Adebobola Bashorun, who performed the inauguration was represented by a staff of Federal Ministry of Health Adebayo Adeshina, explained that the approach would be different following the involvement of community members.
He said, “This is based on a study that will be conducted here on Hepatitis C precisely. The study is to start in October 2023 till July 2026. As the national is working towards sustainability we want the communities to own the programme that is the essence of inaugurating the committee so that they can start here.”
Speaking further on the importance of the research, Bashorun noted that Hepatitis is viral deadly disease, adding that “its can cause an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B is not curable while Hepatitis C is curable in the span of three months if medication is given someone can get well. That is why partners are looking at working on Hepatitis C which in a very short time can be treated.”
On her part, Executive Director, Education as a Vaccine, Tosin Chukwudozie, noted that the activity was a regular quarterly meeting for harm reduction coordination in Gombe State.
“We also performed the inauguration of the Community Advisory Board for the project being implemented in Gombe State Innovate, Involve and Inspire, which is a project that is looking at preventing Hepatitis C through community-led harm reduction. It’s being done in Gombe and Oyo States in Nigeria by different partners DAPHO is leading in Gombe State and we are supported by our partners Frontline AIDS. We are supporting with technical and financial and all other kinds of resources. We are physical host to enable the project happen,” Chukwudozie said.
Disclosing the terms of reference of the state’s Board, she added, “The Board will ensure that the communities are engaged and their voices heard in a meaningful way. This is going to be different unlike situations where their inputs are not considered. There are other members in the Board that include the academia, Non-Governmental Organisations state’s representatives.”
Also speaking, Programme Officer, Drug-Free and Preventive Healthcare Organisation, Aba David Ali, noted that the research on Hepatitis C would be conducted in 10 countries, and in two states of Nigeria including Oyo and Gombe.
He said, “This research project is running in 10 countries which DAPHO happens to be part of. The project is about getting feedback from the people who use drugs. It involves accessibility and acceptability of low dead space needle and syringe.”
On the correlation between Hepatitis C and people who use drugs, he said “the people who use drugs tend to share needles alot what we intend to do is to reduce Hepatitis in the state. According to DAPHO research we carried out we have a total number of 3,520 persons who inject drugs, and sharing is something common with people who inject drugs as they share needles within themselves.
Bravo!