|By Adejumo Adekunle
Stakeholders at a dissemination meeting on the outcome of the 2026 World Hepatitis Summit in Bangkok have demanded an urgent expansion of treatment for people living with hepatitis B and C, alongside wider coverage of hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination, to accelerate efforts toward eliminating the disease by 2030.
The elimination targets, set under the World Health Organization Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, seek to slash hepatitis incidence by 95 per cent by 2030, drastically reduce new hepatitis B and C infections, and cut hepatitis-related deaths by 65 per cent.
The strategy also targets the diagnosis of 90 per cent of people living with hepatitis B and C, while ensuring that 80 per cent of eligible patients receive treatment.
The dissemination meeting, convened in Jalingo by the Centre for Initiative Development, brought together stakeholders from the health, education, and professional sectors across Taraba State.
Officials from the Taraba State Ministry of Health applauded CFID for sustaining public health interventions, stressing that its awareness campaigns and support services have boosted hepatitis testing and improved public knowledge of individual health status.
The ministry also urged stronger collaboration with development partners to deepen hepatitis response efforts across the state.
A representative of the World Health Organization warned about the growing threat posed by hepatitis and called for coordinated global and local action to achieve the 2030 elimination target.
The official further praised CFID’s intervention in reducing hepatitis prevalence in Taraba State and underscored the need for continuous training of health workers using updated global data.
Health institutions, including Taraba State University and Muwanshat College of Health and Technology, pledged to intensify awareness campaigns within their institutions and strengthen collaboration with CFID to increase testing and treatment uptake in communities.
The Nigerian Medical Association, Taraba State chapter, called for broader circulation of updated global hepatitis reports across health facilities, arguing that improved access to current data would strengthen clinical response and disease management.
Similarly, the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to promoting routine hepatitis testing and counselling, insisting that early diagnosis remains critical to reducing transmission and long-term complications.
Sharing her personal experience, legal practitioner Gloria challenged widespread misconceptions surrounding hepatitis transmission, clarifying that the disease is not spread through sweat. She also called for increased investment in hepatitis prevention and treatment, warning that stigma continues to discourage testing and access to care.
Presenting global data, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CFID, Prince (Dr.) Danjuma Adda, disclosed that about 237 million people are currently living with hepatitis B globally, with two deaths recorded every minute.
He added that about 46 million people are infected with hepatitis C worldwide, resulting in one death every two minutes.
According to him, 2.9 per cent of the global population is living with chronic hepatitis B, while 58 per cent of the global hepatitis C burden in 2024 was concentrated in ten countries, including Nigeria.
Adda further revealed that hepatitis B and C account for more than 95 per cent of viral hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.
He stated that about 1.8 million new hepatitis B and C infections were recorded globally in 2024, while approximately 1.3 million deaths occurred within the same period, mainly from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
He added that ten countries, including Nigeria, account for 69 per cent of chronic hepatitis B-related deaths globally, while another ten countries account for 58 per cent of hepatitis C-related deaths.
Despite the grim figures, Adda noted significant progress, revealing that 85 countries have already achieved the 2030 target of reducing chronic hepatitis B prevalence among children under five to below 0.1 per cent.
“With all hands on deck, the dream of attaining the global elimination target of the virus can be achieved,” he said.
