Stakeholders at a dissemination meeting on the outcome of the 2026 World Hepatitis Summit in Bangkok have called for urgent scale-up of treatment for people living with hepatitis B and C, alongside improved coverage of hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination, to help achieve global elimination targets by 2030.
The targets, set under the World Health Organization’s Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, aim to reduce hepatitis incidence by 95 per cent by 2030, significantly cut new hepatitis B and C infections, and achieve a 65 per cent reduction in hepatitis-related deaths.
The strategy also seeks to ensure that 90 per cent of people living with hepatitis B and C are diagnosed, while 80 per cent of those eligible receive treatment.
The dissemination meeting was convened over the weekend in Jalingo by the Centre for Initiative Development (CFID) and brought together stakeholders from the health, education, and professional sectors across Taraba state.
Officials from the Taraba State Ministry of Health commended CFID for its sustained public health interventions, noting that its awareness campaigns and support services had improved hepatitis testing and increased public awareness of personal health status.
The ministry called for continued collaboration with development partners to further strengthen hepatitis response efforts in the state.
A representative of the World Health Organization also underscored the dangers posed by hepatitis and stressed the need for coordinated global and local action to meet the 2030 elimination target.
The official commended CFID’s efforts in reducing hepatitis prevalence in Taraba State and emphasised the importance of continuous capacity building for health workers using updated global data.
Health institutions, including the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Taraba State University, and Muwanshat College of Health and Technology, pledged to intensify awareness campaigns within their institutions and deepen collaboration with CFID to boost testing and treatment uptake in communities.
The Nigerian Medical Association, Taraba State chapter, called for wider dissemination of updated global hepatitis reports across health facilities, saying 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, stressing that early diagnosis remains critical to reducing transmission and long-term complications.
Reeling out her lived experience, a legal practitioner, Barrister Gloria highlighted widespread misconceptions about hepatitis transmission, clarifying that the disease is not spread through sweat. She called for increased investment in hepatitis prevention and treatment, noting that stigma continues to hinder testing and access to care.
Presenting global data, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CFID, Prince (Dr.) Danjuma Adda, said about 237 million people are living with hepatitis B worldwide, with two deaths recorded every minute. He added that about 46 million people are infected with hepatitis C globally, resulting in one death every two minutes.
Adda noted that 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. He further stated that hepatitis B and C account for more than 95 per cent of viral hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.
According to him, about 1.8 million new hepatitis B and C infections were recorded 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, while another ten countries account for 58 per cent of hepatitis C-related deaths globally.
However, Adda noted progress, disclosing that 85 countries have already met 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.
