The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, has called upon African nations to intensify their efforts in expanding immunization coverage to address the escalating problem of chronic hepatitis. In his speech delivered at the African Hepatitis Summit, Pate highlighted the urgent need to tackle hepatitis, a menace that continues to wreak havoc on patients worldwide.
According to Pate, hepatitis is both preventable and curable, but efforts must be focused on adopting a simplified approach that can be implemented at the primary level of care. He stressed that such an approach will reinforce the commitment towards achieving universal health coverage by 2023.
Sharing alarming statistics, Pate reminded stakeholders that Africa is grappling with a significant burden of hepatitis, with 82 million people living with Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) and nine million people living with Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) infections. The gravity of the situation is exacerbated by the fact that only 0.1% of two percent diagnosed with CHB and zero percent of five percent diagnosed with CHC received treatment in 2020.
Pate also highlighted the major barrier to treatment: the high cost, which often requires patients to pay out-of-pocket. In light of this, Pate called for African nations to advocate for local production of treatment options and the optimization of health insurance to remove this financial burden.
As African nations strive to strengthen their hepatitis control response, Pate emphasized the importance of aligning with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) new global health sector strategy. This strategy outlines specific actions and targets to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030, including reducing new infections and deaths by 90% and 65% respectively, globally.
Addressing the situation in Nigeria, Pate reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to eradicating hepatitis. He pledged to work closely with the WHO and other stakeholders, mobilize domestic funding, and sustain efforts until Nigeria is free from this disease.
The President of the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), Dr Danjuma Adda, expressed his dissatisfaction with the slow progress made by African nations in eliminating viral hepatitis. He stressed the overwhelming cost of care, which pushes many individuals into extreme poverty.
During his presentation on ‘The Cost of Hepatitis Elimination in Africa – Investment Case’, Dr Homie Razavi, Managing Director of the Center for Disease Analysis (CDA) Foundation, outlined the financial implications. He projected that screening and treatment for the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) would peak at $2.1 to $1.7 billion per year in 2035. He also noted that screening and treatment for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) would reach $218 million per year and decrease significantly once elimination is achieved.
The urgent need to prioritize immunization and increase access to treatment for chronic hepatitis cannot be overemphasized. It is crucial for African nations to collaborate and align their efforts with global strategies to eliminate this silent epidemic and improve the health and well-being of their citizens.
