By Joke Kujenya
UNIVERSAL HEPATITIS burden drew renewed concern as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that Nigeria and nine other countries accounted for 58 percent of Hepatitis B related cases in 2024.
JKNewsMedia.com reports thar the finding was contained in the 2026 Global Hepatitis Report (GHR)published on Tuesday, which also stated that Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam accounted for nearly 70 percent of Hepatitis B related deaths worldwide in the same period.
The GHR further stated that China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam made up 58 per cent of global cases in 2024.
It also described Hepatitis B as a viral infection that attacks the liver and spreads through contact with infected body fluids including blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen, or from mother to child.
It can be acute or chronic, with chronic infection increasing the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C was also identified as an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus of the same name and transmitted through exposure to infected blood, including unsafe injections and unscreened blood transfusions.
The organisation estimated that 287 million people, about three per cent of the global population, were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024.
The report stated that the WHO African Region accounted for 68 percent of new Hepatitis B infections, with only 17 percent of newborns receiving a birth dose vaccination.
It added that although 240 million people were living with chronic Hepatitis B in 2024, fewer than five percent were receiving treatment, while only 20 percent of people with Hepatitis C had been treated since effective therapies became available in 2015.
The organisation stated that limited access to prevention and care continues to drive mortality.
“In 2024, roughly 1.1 million people died from Hepatitis B and 240,000 from Hepatitis C, mainly due to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer,” the report found, adding that the infections claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024.
The report also stated that transmission continues at about 1.8 million infections annually, representing more than 4,900 cases daily.
GHR also noted that countries are making measurable progress in tackling viral hepatitis, stating that new Hepatitis B infections have declined by 32 percent while Hepatitis C related deaths have dropped by 12 percent.
It added that Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has fallen to 0.6 percent, with 85 countries achieving or surpassing the 2030 target of reducing prevalence to 0.1 percent.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the organisation stated that Hepatitis B and C together account for 95 percent of hepatitis related deaths worldwide and noted that progress reflects sustained international action following targets adopted at the 2016 World Health Assembly, although current rates remain insufficient to meet 2030 elimination goals.
WHO Director General, Tedros Ghebreyesus said countries have shown that “eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream,” but added that efforts must accelerate, noting that many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care.
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