Nigeria Accounts For 15% Of Global Hepatitis B Cases, WHO Says
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Resident Representative and Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s growing hepatitis burden, revealing that an estimated 20 million Nigerians are living with chronic hepatitis B or C, making the country one of the hardest-hit nations globally.
Speaking in a message to mark the 2026 World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 under the theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” Ursu said Nigeria accounts for about 15 per cent of the world’s chronic hepatitis B infections—equivalent to one in every seven cases globally.
He said the figures, contained in the 2026 Hepatitis Investment Case for Nigeria developed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with the WHO and the Center for Disease Analysis Foundation, underscore the urgent need to expand hepatitis testing, vaccination and treatment across the country. The report was published in Daily Trust newspapers on July 29, 2026.
According to the report, hepatitis B prevalence in Nigeria stands at 8.1 per cent, while hepatitis C prevalence is estimated at 1.1 per cent. Nigeria is also among the 10 countries that together account for 69 per cent of global hepatitis B deaths and 58 per cent of global hepatitis C deaths.
Ursu said viral hepatitis causes an estimated 50,000 deaths and liver cancer cases in Nigeria every year, yet fewer than 10 per cent of people living with hepatitis B know their status, while fewer than five per cent of those requiring treatment are receiving it.
“Unlike diseases with immediate symptoms, hepatitis often goes undetected. This allows ongoing transmission, as individuals may unknowingly infect others, including their children,” he said.
He noted that low awareness, stigma, limited access to healthcare and inadequate testing continue to fuel the spread of the disease, warning that pregnant women are frequently excluded from routine hepatitis screening despite the risk of transmitting the infection to their babies.
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To illustrate the challenge, Ursu cited the case of Grace Nfwang, a 34-year-old woman in Plateau State, who completed her pregnancy without being tested for hepatitis B. Although her baby was born healthy, the child missed the critical birth-dose vaccination, increasing the risk of infection. Years later, she developed symptoms including fatigue and abdominal pain, highlighting what Ursu described as the consequences of delayed diagnosis and inadequate awareness.
The WHO representative said Nigeria has committed to eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 through its National Policy for the Control of Viral Hepatitis (2025–2030), which targets diagnosing 90 per cent of people living with hepatitis B or C, treating 80 per cent of eligible patients and ensuring that 90 per cent of newborns receive the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
He added that the country adopted a Triple Elimination Strategy in 2025 aimed at preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, HIV and syphilis, while universal hepatitis C screening has also been introduced into antenatal care.
Despite these policy measures, Ursu said vaccination coverage remains below target. Only 57 per cent of Nigerian infants complete the recommended three-dose hepatitis B vaccination schedule, while just 42 per cent receive the crucial birth-dose vaccine within the first 24 hours after birth, well below the national target of 90 per cent.
According to him, Nigeria already possesses many of the tools required to eliminate viral hepatitis, including affordable diagnostic services, WHO-recommended antiviral medicines and hepatitis B vaccines included in the country’s routine immunisation programme.
He said implementation of the investment case—which prioritises expanding immunisation, screening all pregnant women, strengthening treatment programmes and decentralising hepatitis care through primary healthcare facilities—could prevent more than three million new hepatitis B infections and liver cancer cases.
Calling for renewed commitment from governments, healthcare institutions and communities, Ursu urged stakeholders to remove barriers such as cost, stigma, complexity and misinformation that continue to prevent millions of Nigerians from accessing lifesaving hepatitis services.
“The year 2026 should be a turning point for governments, health institutions and communities to close gaps in hepatitis testing and treatment,” he said.
He stressed that routine hepatitis screening for pregnant women and universal vaccination of newborns remain among the most effective and cost-efficient public health interventions available, adding that immediate action is essential to protect future generations from preventable infections and liver disease.
