The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged African governments to strengthen national hepatitis programmes and expand access to vaccination, testing, and treatment, warning that millions of people across the continent continue to miss out on life-saving services despite the availability of effective interventions.

In a statement issued ahead of World Hepatitis Day, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, said viral hepatitis remains a major public health challenge across the region, even though new hepatitis B infections declined by 25 per cent between 2015 and 2024.

Mr Janabi noted that while effective vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments are available, many people are still diagnosed too late or cannot access care, leading to preventable deaths.

“No one should die from a disease that can be prevented, diagnosed and, in many cases, treated,” he said.

He called on governments, development partners, health workers, and communities to remove barriers preventing people from accessing hepatitis services.

“Eliminating viral hepatitis is within our reach, but only if proven interventions are available to everyone who needs them,” he said.

Bringing services closer to communities

Mr Janabi said the region already has the tools needed to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat.

According to him, the hepatitis B vaccine, introduced in the early 1990s, provides up to 95 per cent protection against infection, while reliable diagnostic tools enable early detection. He added that hepatitis C can be cured, and lifelong treatment for hepatitis B can prevent complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

He stressed that integrating hepatitis prevention, testing, and treatment into primary healthcare would make services more accessible and affordable, while also reducing pressure on health systems.

Mr Janabi said the challenge is no longer scientific but one of political commitment, financing, and equitable access.

He noted that countries in the WHO African Region have recorded progress by expanding the universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccine, advancing the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, and pioneering hepatitis C elimination pathways.

However, he said these gains must be sustained and expanded across all 47 WHO African member states.

Late diagnosis

Mr Janabi warned that many people living with viral hepatitis remain unaware of their infection until serious liver damage has occurred.

He attributed the problem to inadequate access to testing and treatment, particularly in underserved communities, as well as stigma and limited public awareness.

To close these gaps, Mr Janabi urged countries to integrate hepatitis services into routine healthcare throughout a person’s life while investing in research and innovation to improve access to new diagnostic tools and treatments, including for hepatitis B and hepatitis D co-infection.

He also called on development partners to sustain technical and financial support to help countries achieve the global target of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

World Hepatitis Day

Observed annually on 28 July, World Hepatitis Day raises awareness about viral hepatitis and promotes actions to prevent, diagnose, and treat the disease.

This year’s theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s break it down,” calls for breaking down financial, social, and systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing hepatitis services and accelerating progress towards eliminating the disease.

According to the WHO, viral hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver and can lead to severe complications, including liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer if left untreated.

Nigeria’s burden

According to the WHO, Nigeria remains one of the countries most affected by viral hepatitis globally. The organisation estimates that more than 20 million Nigerians are living with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or both, yet over 80 per cent do not know their status. Data from the 2018 Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS) also showed a hepatitis B prevalence of 8.1 per cent and a hepatitis C prevalence of 1.1 per cent among adults aged 15 to 64 years.

The burden extends beyond Nigeria. WHO estimates that more than 90 million people across the African Region are living with viral hepatitis, accounting for about 26 per cent of the global burden. Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen hepatitis control programmes, PREMIUM TIMES has previously reported persistent challenges, including low testing rates, limited access to treatment, and gaps in the uptake of the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine, leaving many infections undetected until serious liver complications develop.

Against the backdrop of the region’s high hepatitis burden, Mr Janabi reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting African countries in strengthening health systems and expanding equitable access to hepatitis services.

“Together, we can prevent new infections, save lives and ensure that viral hepatitis is no longer a barrier to healthier lives for the people of Africa,” he said.

The member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency and Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development, following the official flag-off of the Phase II rehabilitation of the Babban Lamba–Sharam Road in Plateau State.

The project, flagged off on Thursday at Dungung Community in Kanke Local Government Area, was performed on behalf of President Tinubu by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in the presence of the Minister of Works, Senator David Nweze Umahi, Plateau State Governor Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, federal and state lawmakers, traditional rulers, and other dignitaries.

Speaking during the ceremony on behalf of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Gagdi expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving the project and acknowledged the contributions of Prof. Yilwatda and the Minister of Works toward expanding federal infrastructure in Plateau State.

He described the commencement of the road project as another indication that the Federal Government is responding to the developmental needs of the people and ensuring that previously neglected infrastructure receives attention.

Gagdi also congratulated Prof. Yilwatda on his leadership of the APC, stating that Plateau State has continued to benefit from increased federal presence and development initiatives.

The lawmaker thanked the people of Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency for their continued confidence in his representation, assuring them that he would remain committed to attracting projects and providing effective representation at the National Assembly.

“I thank all of you for sending me to the National Assembly,” he said. “You have not regretted it the first time, you will not regret it the second time, and you will not regret it the third time.”

Gagdi noted that the rehabilitation of the Babban Lamba–Sharam Road would significantly improve transportation, promote commerce, ease the movement of agricultural produce and strengthen socio-economic activities across communities within the constituency and neighbouring areas.

Earlier, Governor Caleb Mutfwang described the road as a gateway to greater economic opportunities and thanked President Tinubu for approving the project. He also appealed for the reconstruction of another strategic federal road linking several local government areas in Plateau State to Taraba State.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the remaining 40-kilometre stretch of the road would be constructed using Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) technology, adding that the project would also feature solar-powered street lights, surveillance cameras, tree planting and other modern infrastructure designed to improve safety and durability.

Representing President Tinubu, Prof. Yilwatda described the Babban Lamba–Sharam Road as a strategic national corridor that would connect communities, facilitate trade and agriculture, enhance security and support regional economic integration. He assured residents that the Federal Government remained committed to delivering critical infrastructure across Plateau State and other parts of the country.

Also speaking, former Plateau State Governor and Senator representing Plateau South, Simon Bako Lalong, Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, praised the Federal Government’s investment in road infrastructure and expressed confidence that the project would accelerate development across the state.

A major highlight of the ceremony was the conferment of a traditional title on Senator Umahi by the Paramount Ruler of the Ngas Nation, His Royal Majesty Nde Jika Golit Ngolong Ngas, in recognition of the minister’s contributions to infrastructure development.

The contractor, Decency Associates Limited, assured the Federal Government and host communities of its readiness to deliver the project in accordance with approved engineering standards and within the stipulated timeframe.

The Phase II rehabilitation covers the remaining 40 kilometres of the Babban Lamba–Sharam Road, including a spur to Kanke Local Government Headquarters, and is expected to improve connectivity, stimulate economic growth and further advance the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope infrastructure programme.