Stakeholders gathered at a dissemination meeting in Jalingo over the weekend have called for an urgent scale‑up of hepatitis B and C treatment and expanded birth‑dose vaccination for hepatitis B. The appeals come as the World Health Organization’s Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis pushes for elimination of the disease as a public‑health threat by 2030.
The strategy sets three core targets: a 95 percent reduction in new hepatitis infections, a 65 percent drop in hepatitis‑related deaths and ensuring that 90 percent of people living with hepatitis B or C are diagnosed, with 80 percent of those eligible receiving treatment. Achieving these goals will require intensified efforts across Africa, where a substantial share of the global hepatitis burden resides.
The meeting, convened by the Centre for Initiative Development (CFID), drew representatives from the health, education and professional sectors of Taraba state. Officials from the Taraba State Ministry of Health praised CFID’s ongoing public‑health campaigns, noting that community awareness activities and support services have boosted hepatitis testing and increased knowledge of personal health status. The ministry urged continued partnership with development agencies to strengthen the state’s response.
A World Health Organization delegate highlighted the continued danger of hepatitis and stressed the need for coordinated action at both global and local levels. The official commended CFID’s contribution to lowering hepatitis prevalence in Taraba and emphasized that regular capacity‑building for health workers, based on the latest global data, remains essential.
Academic institutions—including the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Taraba State University and Muwanshat College of Health and Technology—affirmed their commitment to expand awareness campaigns on campus and to deepen collaboration with CFID to raise testing and treatment uptake in surrounding communities. The Nigerian Medical Association’s Taraba State chapter called for wider dissemination of up‑to‑date hepatitis reports across health facilities, arguing that access to current data will improve clinical response and disease management. The Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria reiterated its pledge to promote routine hepatitis testing and counselling, underscoring that early diagnosis is key to curbing transmission and long‑term complications.
Legal practitioner Barrister Gloria, sharing her personal experience, warned that misinformation about hepatitis transmission persists, noting that the virus is not spread through sweat. She appealed for greater investment in prevention and treatment programmes, adding that stigma continues to deter many from seeking testing and care.
Presenting global statistics, CFID founder and chief executive Dr Danjuma Adda warned that about 237 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B and 46 million with hepatitis C. He noted that two deaths occur every minute from hepatitis B and one death every two minutes from hepatitis C. While 2.9 percent of the world’s population carries chronic hepatitis B, ten countries—including Nigeria—account for 58 percent of the global hepatitis C burden and 69 percent of chronic hepatitis B‑related deaths. In 2024, 1.8 million new infections and roughly 1.3 million deaths were recorded, primarily from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Adda highlighted progress, pointing out that 85 countries have already achieved the target of reducing chronic hepatitis B prevalence among children under five to below 0.1 percent. “With all hands on deck, the dream of attaining the global elimination target of the virus can be achieved,” he said.
The consensus in Jalingo underscores a growing urgency to mobilise resources, expand vaccination coverage and ensure that diagnosis and treatment reach those who need them most. As the 2030 deadline approaches, the combined efforts of governments, NGOs, health professionals and communities will be pivotal in turning the WHO’s elimination goals into reality.
