In a statement released Tuesday, the global health body said viral hepatitis B and C —responsible for 95 per cent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide — claimed about 1.34 million lives in 2024.
Nigeria has been listed among countries bearing a heavy share of global hepatitis-related deaths, according to a new report by the World Health Organisation, raising fresh concerns over the country’s public health response to the disease.
In a statement released Tuesday, the global health body said viral hepatitis B and C —responsible for 95 per cent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide — claimed about 1.34 million lives in 2024.
The infections continue to spread at an alarming rate, with over 4,900 new cases recorded daily, translating to roughly 1.8 million new infections annually.
The WHO identified Nigeria among 10 countries accounting for 69 per cent of global hepatitis B deaths in 2024. Others listed include Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam.
Similarly, Nigeria also featured among countries contributing significantly to hepatitis C mortality, which the WHO said is more geographically dispersed.
The country joins China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam in accounting for 58 per cent of global hepatitis C deaths.
Despite these figures, the 2026 Global Hepatitis Report noted some progress since 2015, including a 32 per cent reduction in new hepatitis B infections and a 12 per cent decline in hepatitis C-related deaths globally.
The report further showed that hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has dropped to 0.6 per cent, with 85 countries already meeting or surpassing the 2030 target of 0.1 per cent.
However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that progress remains uneven and too slow to meet global elimination targets.
“Around the world, countries are showing that eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream; it’s possible with sustained political commitment backed by reliable domestic financing,” he said.
“At the same time, progress is too slow and uneven. Many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care.”
The report estimated that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infections globally in 2024. Of the 0.9 million new hepatitis B infections recorded that year, Africa accounted for 68 per cent—highlighting the region’s disproportionate burden.
Vaccination coverage remains a major challenge, with only 17 per cent of newborns in Africa receiving the critical hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine.
For hepatitis C, the WHO reported another 0.9 million new infections in 2024, with people who inject drugs accounting for 44 per cent of new cases.
Treatment coverage also remains critically low. According to the report, fewer than five per cent of the 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B are receiving treatment. For hepatitis C, only about 20 per cent of patients have been treated since 2015, despite the availability of highly effective therapies with cure rates exceeding 95 per cent.
The consequences are severe: hepatitis B caused approximately 1.1 million deaths in 2024, while hepatitis C accounted for 240,000 deaths, largely due to complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The WHO pointed to countries like Egypt, Georgia, Rwanda and the United Kingdom as examples where elimination is achievable through sustained investment and political will.
It called for urgent expansion of vaccination programmes, wider testing, improved access to treatment and stronger prevention strategies, warning that current efforts remain insufficient to meet the 2030 global elimination targets.
