By: Vitalis Ugoh,Calabar
The ongoing intervention to eliminate Hepatitis B and C viruses transmission by 2030 has received a boost with the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO), an international development partner, expressing readiness to support scale up of Hepatitis programmes in the State.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, who disclosed this to journalists after returning from a weeklong engagement with some donors and international development partners in Abuja, describing the partnership with JHPIEGO as strategic towards significantly reducing funding gaps in HIV, TB and Hepatitis epidemics in Cross River State.
He expressed delight in JHPIEGO’s preparedness, which has seen the organisation, within few days, already developing a start up programme for consultation meetings with the State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu.
The Health Commissioner pointed out that his extensive and useful discussions with international partners, especially JHPIEGO’s Project Director, Dr Victor Adepoju, will activate the anti hepatitis scale up in Cross River State.
JHPIEGO’s Project Director, Dr Victor Adepoju, Dr Victor Adepoju, whose organisation co-hosted the recent African Hepatitis Summit in Abuja, commended Cross River State Governor for the appointment of a thoroughbred development minded professional like Dr. Ayuk as Commissioner for Health. Dr. Adepoju, among other Partners expressed believe that Dr Ayuk will use his experience to bring in more sustainable donor support in the development of the health sector of the State.
