The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has called on the State Government to declare a state of emergency on Hepatitis and other deadly diseases.
This is following a motion sponsored by Musa Abubakar Ibrahim (NNPP, Doma South) during plenary in Lafia on Monday.
Ibrahim lamented the high mortality rate in his constituency, stating that twenty-eight persons had died as a result of Hepatitis from October 2023 to date.
He urged the government to take urgent action to address the situation and improve healthcare in rural areas where facilities were in poor condition.
He said, “Mr Speaker and my colleagues, there is a serious health problem in my constituency as twenty-eight (28) people have died of hepatitis from October to date.
“Hepatitis is killing my people and something needs to be done to curtail it. I beg that the government should tackle this problem, we should come up with a strong committee to address this issue.
“Go to rural areas and see, our health facilities are in bad shape.”
In response to the motion, the House urged the state Ministry of Health to deploy experts to the affected communities to assess the situation and take necessary action.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Danladi Jatau directed the State Government to declare a state of emergency on hepatitis and other deadly diseases, stating that such a declaration would help in curbing the spread of the disease and improving the health status of the people.
The Speaker further instructed the Clerk of the House to communicate the resolutions to Governor Abdullahi Sule for necessary action.
Daniel Ogah Ogazi and other lawmakers, who contributed to the motion, stated the need for the government to prioritize the elimination of hepatitis and other deadly diseases in the state, particularly by ensuring access to treatment.