WHO calls on African governments to strengthen national hepatitis programmes
World Health Organization (WHO) has called on African governments to strengthen their national hepatitis programmes and expand access to vaccination, testing, and treatment, warning that millions of people across the continent continue to miss out on life-saving services despite the availability of effective interventions.
In a statement issued ahead of World Hepatitis Day, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, highlighted that viral hepatitis remains a major public health challenge in the region, even though new hepatitis B infections declined by 25 percent between 2015 and 2024.
Janabi further emphasized that many individuals are still diagnosed too late or cannot access care, resulting in preventable deaths, and urged governments, partners, health workers, and communities to remove barriers to hepatitis services. He concluded that eliminating viral hepatitis is achievable if proven interventions are accessible to everyone in need
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