John, Nigeria: #ICantWait To Get Treated for Hepatitis B

John: #ICantWait To Get Treated for Hepatitis B

Find mental health resources here: https://findahelpline.com/

For hepatitis B community support please visits www.hepbcommunity.org

John discovered he had hepatitis B when he went for a job in a hospital lab. Before he made the discovery, he had been sick and he was treated for typhoid and malaria, but then he realized it was symptoms of hepatitis B. After his diagnosis, John was given many tests and placed on Tenofovir for treatment.

He wants people to know that the most important thing is to be open about your diagnosis and not fall victim to desperation. He says: “Hepatitis B is not a death sentence. The treatment for hepatitis B in Nigeria is very high and our government is doing nothing about it…I challenge our government to see those needs for all our health sector to make sure that the masses get good health care. We have everything it take in Nigeria, so my fellow brother, let us join hands together. Raise more awareness in our community, in our locality, state, federal, national and international. So that we can fight the fight together, more awareness, and more testing.”

Facts:

Many people don’t know they are infected with hepatitis B. 297 million people live with hepatitis B including 20 million Nigerians.

People living with hepatitis B can live a normal life. Seeing the doctor regularly, avoiding alcohol and tobacco and maintaining a well-balanced diet can help.