WHO Urges Africa To Break Barriers To Hepatitis Care
WHO Urges African Governments to Enhance Hepatitis Services on World Hepatitis Day
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on African governments to improve access to prevention, testing, and treatment for hepatitis, noting that millions of individuals across the continent remain undiagnosed and untreated despite the availability of effective interventions.
In a statement released to mark World Hepatitis Day 2026, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, emphasized that no individual should succumb to a preventable disease. He asserted that timely diagnosis and treatment can significantly alter outcomes for those affected by hepatitis.
This year’s campaign, themed “Hepatitis: Let’s break it down,” encourages governments, healthcare workers, partners, and communities to dismantle barriers that hinder access to critical hepatitis services.
Dr. Janabi highlighted a 25 percent decline in new hepatitis B infections in the WHO African Region from 2015 to 2024. Despite this progress, he cautioned that viral hepatitis continues to claim many lives due to a lack of timely diagnosis and treatment.
The director pointed to the availability of effective hepatitis B vaccines, diagnostic tools, curative treatments for hepatitis C, and ongoing treatment for hepatitis B. He advocated for the integration of these services into primary healthcare systems, which he believes would save lives, alleviate pressure on health services, and promote universal health coverage.
Dr. Janabi acknowledged the African Region’s achievements in expanding hepatitis B birth-dose vaccinations, advancing efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B, and initiating hepatitis C elimination initiatives. However, he stressed the importance of sustaining and extending these successes across all 47 WHO Member States.
He also noted ongoing challenges, such as low public awareness, delays in diagnosis, and unequal access to testing and treatment, particularly in underserved populations. Stigma surrounding viral hepatitis remains a significant barrier.
The WHO Regional Director urged Member States to reinforce national hepatitis programs, broaden vaccination, testing, and treatment services, and consider community involvement as a central element of hepatitis elimination efforts. He also appealed to development partners to sustain technical and financial support, aiming for the global goal of eradicating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
Dr. Janabi reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to assisting African countries in strengthening health systems and ensuring equitable access to hepatitis services while preventing new infections across the continent.
