First Baptist Church, Gwagwalada Abuja Marks Health Sunday

First Baptist Church, Gwagwalada Abuja today observed its Annual Health Sunday.

This year’s Health Sunday with the topic “You and Your Liver” was to educate members of the Church on the causes, prevention, and treatment of liver related diseases, most especially Hepatitis.

On the occasion, the Guest Speaker, Dr Oje Ogbonnanya from Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital described hepatitis B and C as silent killers which has resulted to the death of millions of people the world over.

Dr Ogbonnanya said eight out of ten people are infected with hepatitis while about 20 million Nigerians have been infected with the disease and two billion people the world over.

According to him, hepatitis is being transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, child to child during cohabitation, sharp objects during circumcision or hair cut, kissing and sexual intercourse among others.

He identified liver cancer or failure, yellowish eyes, swollen body, fever as some of the symptoms of the disease.

While highlighting screening and vaccination as means of treating and preventing hepatitis, Dr Ogbonnanya advised the public to shun smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of unprescribed drugs most especially “Agbo”, unprotected sexual intercourse, consumption of cholesterol food and engage in regular exercise as well as healthy eating.

In a remark, the Minister in charge of the Church, Reverend Deji Oyelami admonished christians to always pay attention to their health and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Reading from 3 John chapter 1 verse 2, Reverend Deji Oyelami said the Church would continue to give priority to programmes that would promote healthy living in christiandom.

Highpoint of the Health Sunday was a free medical check.

Mathew Ayoola, Edited By Grace Namiji