NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The menace of hepatitis disease is manifesting fully with the death of 28 persons traced to the disease. The deaths occurred in the Ekye Development Area of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
A member representing Doma South Constituency in the State house of Assembly, Musa Abubakar who disclosed this, said the victims died between October 2023 and February 2024. Thus, he prayed the House to call on the State governor, Abdullahi Sule to declare a state-of-emergency on the disease, with the view to tackling it and other health challenges in the State.
Abubakar’s motion before the House, which came under matters of urgent public importance, said the outbreak of the disease – which attacks the liver and other vital organs, and the death toll as alarming. “Mister Speaker and my colleagues, there is a serious health problem in my constituency as 28 people have been reportedly killed as a result of hepatitis outbreak from October last ear to date. Hepatitis is killing my people and something needs to be done to curtail the disease in the area,” according to House documents.
Other members of the House of Assembly, including Mohammed Oyanki, Daniel Ogazi, Ibrahim Peter Akwe, Solomon Akwashiki, Larry Ven Bawa all called for quick response to end the menace. During the debate, the Speaker of the house, Danladi Jatau described the occurrence as unfortunate. He noted that the deaths of 28 people as a result of the disease was of concern to the government and the people of Nasarawa State
To that end, Speaker Jatau called for immediate action to reverse the morbid trend “We have two resolutions to the effect that His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule is hereby directed to ask the Ministry of Health to move their experts to the affected communities to ascertain the situation and do the needful. Secondly, the State government should declare a state-of-emergency on hepatitis and other deadly diseases in the State.
The Speaker empathized with the families of the deceased and the entire Doma South Constituency. He prayed God to grant those who have died eternal rest while comforting those they have left behind. The Clerk of the House was directed to forward the resolutions of the House on the matter to the governor for his response.