Nigeria and nine other countries account for majority of hepatitis deaths globally

The World Health Organization has reported that Nigeria and nine other countries accounted for the majority of global hepatitis deaths in 2024.

.....

In its 2026 global hepatitis report, the WHO said hepatitis B and C, responsible for about 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths, killed approximately 1.34 million people in 2024, with around 1.8 million new infections recorded annually.

According to the report, countries including Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam accounted for 69 percent of hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide. Nigeria also featured among the top contributors to hepatitis C-related deaths, alongside countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States.

Globally, an estimated 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infections in 2024. The WHO noted that the African region accounted for 68 percent of new hepatitis B infections, yet only 17 percent of newborns in the region received the recommended birth-dose vaccination.

The report also highlighted that people who inject drugs made up 44 percent of new hepatitis C infections, underscoring the need for improved harm reduction measures and safer injection practices.

Despite the scale of the challenge, the WHO said progress is being made. Since 2015, new hepatitis B infections have dropped by 32 percent, while deaths linked to hepatitis C have declined by 12 percent. The prevalence of hepatitis B among children under five has also fallen to 0.6 percent, with dozens of countries meeting key global targets.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while elimination of hepatitis is achievable, progress remains uneven and too slow to meet the 2030 goals.

The WHO is calling on governments to accelerate efforts by expanding vaccination coverage, improving access to testing and treatment, strengthening injection safety, and integrating hepatitis services into primary healthcare systems.