2021 World Hepatitis Day: Millions of Nigerians infected with Hepatitis – Minister

The Nigerian Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, says over 18. 2 million Nigerians are infected with viral hepatitis in the country.

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He said that awareness, reporting, diagnosis, and treatment of Hepatitis B and C remains low in Nigeria.

The Minister who was speaking in Abuja, said that Hepatitis remains a disease of public health importance and the mortality rate from both infections was still alarming, despite limited globally progress in addressing the scourge.

He stated that 16 million Nigerians were estimated to be infected with Hepatitis B and 2.2 million with Hepatitis C, which represents estimated prevalence rates of 8.1 percent and 1.1 percent respectively.

“In 2019, 3.8 percent of the world’s population was living with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus infection and 0.75 percent with ith Hepatitis C infection“, he added.

According to him, the 2021 theme aptly urges continuous effort to manage and mitigate hepatitis in Nigeria.

” We adopted the national sub-theme “National Ownership and Financing for Viral Hepatitis Elimination”, as a clarion call to action by all stakeholders and acknowledge the need to increase engagement to realise the desired changes”, he said.

On efforts to tackle hepatitis, Ehanire said the ministry introduced policy documents and guidance for action with partner support, but regrets that ensuring optimal access to service remains a challenge, while out-of-pocket payment was still the main source for financing treatment.

“The government recognises the urgent need to address out-of-pocket payment, and improve sustainable financing, to be on course to the elimination targets”, he added.

In view of Nigeria’s commitment to the 2030 Viral Hepatitis Elimination plan, the minister said it was essential to improve community engagement, political leadership, testing and treatment, and scale up high-impact interventions.

He called on all Nigerians to work together to eliminate the “silent killer”, viral hepatitis by visiting a health facility to get screened.

The WHO, representative in Nigeria, Dr. Walter Mulombo, said that this year’s theme “hepatitis can’t wait”, emphasized the urgent need for countries to rapidly improve access to services to prevent, diagnose and treat viral hepatitis.

“In Africa including Nigeria, hepatitis is a silent epidemic: More than 90 million people are living with hepatitis in the Region, accounting for 26 percent of the global total.

“Around 4.5 million African children under five years old are infected with chronic hepatitis B, reflecting an enormous 70 percent of the global burden in this age group.

“The global target of less than 1 percent incidence of hepatitis B in children under 5 years has been reached, but the African Region is lagging at 2.5 percent,” Muombo disclosed.

He pledged commitment to continuing partnership with FMoH/National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCP), National Primary Health Care and Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS), National Harm Reduction Programme and other departments, partners and stakeholders working on Viral Hepatitis through provision of technical support, and innovations towards the attainment of the set targets.

The 2021 World Hepatitis Day theme is “Hepatitis Can’t Wait!”