Garki Hospital has taken hepatitis prevention campaign to residents of Garki Village, Abuja, offering free screening and health services as part of activities to mark the 2026 World Hepatitis Day.
The outreach, held yesterday at the Chief’s Palace, Garki Village, in commemoration of World Hepatitis Day 2026, provided free Hepatitis B screening, HIV, syphilis and malaria testing, as well as health education and counselling for residents.
At the event, the director of Public Health, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Theresa Nwachukwu, said the theme of this year’s celebration was focused on removing barriers preventing people from accessing hepatitis information and care.
Nwachukwu said such barriers include lack of awareness, financial challenges, distance to healthcare facilities and gaps in policy implementation.
“The goal this year is simply to remove every obstacle that prevents people from having access to information or healthcare around hepatitis,” she said.
She explained that improving access to healthcare requires a coordinated approach involving communities, health facilities and policymakers.
The public health expert commended the FCT Administration for supporting efforts to increase awareness, expand health insurance coverage and integrate hepatitis services into primary healthcare centres.
She said making hepatitis care available at primary healthcare level would enable residents to access treatment without necessarily visiting tertiary hospitals.
Nwachukwu also stressed the importance of vaccination, particularly hepatitis B immunisation for newborns, as a major step towards reducing new infections.
Meanwhile, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Garki Hospital, Dr Justice Igbiti, has warned that late detection of hepatitis could result in severe liver complications, including liver failure and cancer.
Igbiti said stigma remains one of the major challenges affecting hepatitis prevention and treatment, as some people are reluctant to disclose their health status or seek medical attention.
“Many people come late because of shame. They do not want to tell others they have hepatitis, and this delays treatment,” he said.
He urged residents to take advantage of screening opportunities, noting that early detection improves chances of effective management.
