Medical experts seek more awareness, collaboration to tackle hepatitis epidemic in Nigeria

The Network Lead, Anglo West Africa at Roche Diagnostics, Roberto Taboada has called for concerted effort from both the public and private sectors, as well as active participation from local communities and funding organisations to address the hepatitis epidemic in Nigeria.

He said the Nigerian government, in partnership with private sector stakeholders, healthcare providers, and the public, must engage in practical steps such as innovative funding approaches, enhancing diagnostic laboratory infrastructure, and prioritisng access to testing and care for all Nigerian patients, even in the most remote areas.

Taboada, who made the call in his paper titled: “Nigeria’s Lesser-Known Epidemic: How Viral Hepatitis Flew Under the Radar,” cited the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Hepatitis Report, which revealed that Nigeria is among the top 10 countries that shoulder one-third of the global hepatitis burden

According to the WHO estimates, Nigeria has more than 20 million people living with hepatitis B, C or both; yet more than 80% of the people who have the disease do not know their status.

The report further revealed that every day, 3,500 people globally die from hepatitis B and C infections, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region accounts for 63 per cent of new hepatitis B infections.

Taboada said the figures paint a striking and disturbing picture of an epidemic that has somehow flown under the radar – a severe health problem that has surpassed the combined mortality of HIV, TB and malaria.

He emphasised that enhanced awareness, robust education initiatives, and improved healthcare infrastructure are key to moving closer to achieving WHO’s 2030 targets of diagnosing 90 per cent of individuals with hepatitis and treating 80 per cent of those diagnosed.

Taboada said by prioritising hepatitis as a public health issue, Nigeria can reduce the alarming mortality and morbidity rates associated with the disease.

On his part, Public Health Expert and Past President, The World Hepatitis Alliance, Dr Danjuma Adda, said the fight against hepatitis is hindered by the lack of continuous medical education among healthcare professionals, particularly in the area of diagnosis.

He highlighted that many doctors and nurses in Nigeria still rely on outdated knowledge from their medical school days, unaware of current guidelines and treatments for hepatitis.

Adda said there is lack of awareness about viral hepatitis, not only among local communities but even among healthcare professionals.

Adda narrated his experience with hepatitis B, which poignantly illustrates the physical, emotional and social challenges faced by people affected by this silent epidemic.

Adda, who contracted hepatitis B in a hospital setting while working on comorbidity clinical diagnostics on patient samples, was offered no post-exposure prophylaxis after six months of diagnosis, despite the availability for HIV.

He said this stark reality highlighted a critical gap in healthcare practices at the time, noting that the diagnosis came with the daunting task of disclosing his status to his future wife in a community that was, at best, ill-informed about the causes and effects of hepatitis.

Adda said this gap in knowledge dissemination means that updated guidelines from reputable organisations like the WHO and the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) often do not reach the frontline healthcare workers, leaving them ill-equipped to manage and advise on hepatitis effectively.

He emphasised that continuous medical education for healthcare professionals is essential to ensure that those at the first point of contact with patients are up-to-date with the latest guidelines and treatments.