WORLD HEPATITIS DAY: GASTRO UNIT, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE, FMC ABEOKUTA TAKES CAMPAIGN TO MARKET.
Saturday, 2nd August 2025.
The Gastroenterology Unit in the Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta in conjunction with Babarinde Adegboyega ARD Concept (BAARD) has joined the rest of the world in celebrating this year’s world Hepatitis Day
with an outreach to Odo – Eran market in Obantoko area of Abeokuta.
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated globally on 28th July every year, to commemorate and create awareness about the danger of the disease, how to live with it and preventive measures.
The programme highlight was the sensitization walk around the market which was joined by market women who later presented themselves for medical checks.
Registration and testing of members of the Community was a part of the Outreach goals to make the day memorable.
Dr. Adegboyega Co-Founder BAARD, Chairman, Association of Resident Doctors, FMCA Chapter, gave an insight into the programme, especially the choice of hosting the event at the market.
The idea, according to him is to do the checks to be sure if a person is a carrier or not. Though being a carrier , in his words is not a death sentence. All the person needs to do is visit the hospital and commence treatment and if not, get a vaccine.
Hepatitis is a disease of the liver, it has different types, Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis B is the most deadly and stubborn. But with vaccine and regular check up in the hospital, one can live with it, though till this very moment, it has no cure.
Expatiating on the disease, prevention and management, Dr. Issa Kamorudeen Jimoh from CMPC, encouraged people in the market to participate in the exercise by advising them to check their Hepatitis status so as not to infect others and to be safety conscious.
For the avoidance of Hepatitis getting worse and spreading, hence this outreach, to bring the hospital to their community.
He stated that the disease can be transmitted from a pregnant mother to the baby, and it can be transmitted through any blood to blood and fluid to fluid contact in the body.
Mrs. Adu Olufunke, a representative of the State Ministry of Health, Dept. of Public Health, and State Programme Coordinator HIV and AIDS/ Hepatitis and STI Control Programme, in her speech, encouraged and advise school age children to be careful not to share sharp objects in school as this can increase the risk of contracting the disease.
Rounding up the program, Dr. Owoseni, Head of Gastroenterology Unit educated the audience on the importance of creating awareness of this disease, stating that a lot of patients do not come to the hospital for checks until the disease has reached a dangerous stage, hence the hospital is brought to this community and environs so they will be aware of the danger of not coming for checks and tests from time to time.
According to her, a lot of people are living with the disease but they do not know.
The event also witnessed free hepatitis test for market men, women and children in Odo – Eran market in Obantoko.
Report by: Orire Olakunle, Oluwakemi Mina, Mathew Shogbade (Information and Public Relations Department).