Tuesday, April 28, 2026 - The World Health Organization has listed Nigeria among countries that accounted for a significant share of global hepatitis-related deaths in 2024, amid continued concerns over the burden of the disease worldwide.
A Tuesday news release on the global health body’s website
revealed that viral hepatitis B and C, which account for 95 per cent of
hepatitis-related deaths worldwide, caused 1.34 million deaths in 2024, while
more than 4,900 new infections occur daily, or about 1.8 million annually.
The WHO said, “Ten countries – Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia,
Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa and Viet Nam –
accounted for 69% of hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide in 2024.”
It added that hepatitis C-related deaths were more
geographically dispersed, noting that “In 2024, ten countries accounted for 58%
of the global total: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, the
Russian Federation, South Africa, the United States of America and Viet Nam.”
The 2026 Global Hepatitis Report showed progress since 2015,
including a 32 per cent decline in annual new hepatitis B infections and a 12
per cent fall in hepatitis C-related deaths globally.
It also said hepatitis B prevalence among children under
five has dropped to 0.6 per cent, with 85 countries meeting or surpassing the
2030 target of 0.1 per cent.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said elimination
is achievable, but progress remains uneven.
“Around the world, countries are showing that eliminating
hepatitis is not a pipedream, it’s possible with sustained political
commitment, backed by reliable domestic financing,” he said.
“At the same time, this report shows that progress is too
slow and uneven. Many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma,
weak health systems and inequitable access to care.
“While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public
health threat, urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed
if the world is to meet the 2030 targets,” he added.
The report estimated 287 million people were living with
chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024.
It said 0.9 million people were newly infected with
hepatitis B that year, with Africa accounting for 68 per cent of cases. In
contrast, only 17 per cent of newborns in the region received the hepatitis B
birth-dose vaccine.
It also recorded 0.9 million hepatitis C infections in 2024,
with people who inject drugs accounting for 44 per cent of new infections.
The WHO said fewer than 5 per cent of the 240 million people
living with chronic hepatitis B were receiving treatment, while about 20 per
cent of hepatitis C patients have been treated since 2015, despite the
availability of curative therapy with a success rate above 95 per cent.
As a result, 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B and
240,000 from hepatitis C in 2024, with liver cirrhosis and liver cancer cited
as the leading causes of death.
The report said countries including Egypt, Georgia, Rwanda
and the United Kingdom show that elimination is achievable with sustained
investment and political commitment, but urged expanded vaccination, wider
testing, improved access to treatment and stronger prevention measures to
accelerate progress toward global targets.
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