Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning to African governments, urging them to expand access to hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment, and stressing that millions of people across the continent remain undiagnosed and untreated despite the availability of highly effective interventions. In a message marking World Hepatitis Day 2026, observed under the theme "Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down," the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, declared that no one should die from a disease that can be prevented, diagnosed and, in many cases, treated. The campaign urges governments, health workers, partners and communities to remove the barriers preventing people from accessing lifesaving hepatitis services.
While new hepatitis B infections in the WHO African Region declined by 25 per cent between 2015 and 2024, Dr Janabi said viral hepatitis continues to claim too many lives because millions of people still lack timely diagnosis, treatment and care. He noted that the tools needed to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat are already available, including a highly effective hepatitis B vaccine, reliable diagnostic tests, curative treatment for hepatitis C, and lifelong treatment for hepatitis B that can prevent severe complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. According to him, integrating these services into primary healthcare systems would save lives, reduce pressure on health services and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.
Dr Janabi commended the African Region for expanding hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination, advancing efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, and pioneering hepatitis C elimination initiatives. He described these milestones as evidence of what sustained political commitment, investment and partnerships can achieve. However, he stressed that these gains must be sustained and extended across all 47 WHO Member States. He also highlighted persistent challenges, including low awareness, delayed diagnosis, unequal access to testing and treatment particularly in underserved communities, and the stigma associated with viral hepatitis. He expressed concern that many people living with viral hepatitis remain unaware of their status, with delayed diagnosis often resulting in patients seeking medical care only after developing serious liver disease.
The WHO Regional Director emphasised that the challenge is no longer scientific but lies in mobilising political commitment, increasing investment and ensuring equitable access so that everyone can benefit from proven interventions. He called for hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment services to be fully integrated into routine primary health care throughout people's lives. He also underscored the need for continued investment in research and innovation to improve access to new diagnostic tools and treatments, including for hepatitis B and hepatitis D co-infection. He urged Member States to strengthen national hepatitis programmes, expand vaccination, testing and treatment services, and place communities at the centre of elimination efforts.
The WHO also appealed to development partners to maintain the technical and financial support needed to help countries achieve the global target of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030. The call comes as the Global Hepatitis Report 2026 documented significant gains made since 2015, including a 32 per cent drop in new hepatitis B infections and a 12 per cent fall in hepatitis C-related deaths globally. However, treatment access remains a major gap, with many people remaining undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care. The report identified Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa and Viet Nam as accounting for 69 per cent of hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide in 2024.
Reaffirming WHO's commitment, Dr Janabi said the organisation would continue working closely with Member States to strengthen health systems, expand equitable access to hepatitis services and support country-led initiatives. "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. As Africa continues to bear a disproportionate share of the global hepatitis burden, with an estimated 60 million hepatitis B cases, the call for urgent action could not be more pressing.
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