…targets 2030 for elimination in the state
By Muyideen Aliyu
The Kwara State Government has disclosed that recent data indicates Nigeria accounts for approximately 15 percent of the global burden of Hepatitis B, with an estimated 20 million Nigerians living with chronic Hepatitis B or C infections.
To address the challenge, the state government has launched a comprehensive Viral Hepatitis Elimination Roadmap aimed at eliminating the disease as a public health threat in the state by 2030.
The roadmap, themed “Let’s Break It Down,” is designed to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and public awareness of viral hepatitis across the state.
Speaking during the unveiling, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, described the launch as a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and achieve Universal Health Coverage.
El-Imam said the roadmap serves as a strategic blueprint for ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the state by 2030, in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global elimination targets.
According to her, “Viral hepatitis remains a silent killer in our communities. Recent data indicates that Nigeria accounts for approximately 15 percent of the global burden of Hepatitis B, with an estimated 20 million Nigerians living with chronic Hepatitis B or C infections.”
She noted that thousands of people in the state, as in other parts of the country, may be living with the infection without knowing their status, putting them at risk of complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
The Commissioner emphasized that the disease burden should not be a cause for despair, but rather a call for stronger and more coordinated action.
She explained that the roadmap is not a standalone document, but an operational extension of the “Kwara Model” for health system strengthening, designed to align the state’s response with WHO’s 2030 elimination targets.
El-Imam noted that global targets include diagnosing 90 percent of people living with viral hepatitis and ensuring that 80 percent of those eligible for treatment receive it.
She assured that the state government would intensify screening programmes to determine the prevalence of viral hepatitis across the state and ensure infected persons are identified and linked to appropriate care.
The Commissioner added that the state plans to aggressively scale up Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination, noting that improved vaccine coverage remains a key priority in preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus.
In her words: “The roadmap will integrate hepatitis screening and care into existing Primary Health Care (PHC) centres, Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services, and HIV/TB clinics.”
She added that care would be decentralized across the state’s network of PHCs and general hospitals to make services more accessible to residents.
The commissioner further noted that the roadmap would establish a stronger surveillance system to monitor the incidence and prevalence of viral hepatitis, as well as treatment outcomes, ensuring that policy decisions are driven by data rather than assumptions.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Taoheed Abdullahi, described viral hepatitis as a major health concern in Nigeria, stating that the roadmap provides clear direction for strengthening healthcare services and reducing the disease burden in Kwara.
Abdullahi appealed to stakeholders particularly traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community heads to intensify awareness about viral hepatitis and encourage members of their communities to undergo early testing.
The Chairman of the Technical Working Group, Prof. Abdulfatai Olokooba, said the committee developed the roadmap using available data and in line with the WHO template.
He expressed optimism that diligent implementation of the document would significantly reduce the burden of viral hepatitis in the state.
Olokooba explained that the roadmap covers key areas including treatment, surveillance, data management for evidence-based decision-making, and capacity building for healthcare workers.
Also speaking, the Programme Coordinator of the HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, and Other STIs Control Unit, Dr. Rasheed Muhammad, described viral hepatitis as a major health scourge that causes liver inflammation.
He said about eight out of every 100 Nigerians are estimated to be positive for Hepatitis B, adding that the infection commonly affects young people.
Muhammad described Hepatitis B as a “silent infection” because many infected individuals do not know their status and can unknowingly transmit the virus to others.
He explained that Hepatitis B can be transmitted through exposure to infected blood, sexual contact, and the sharing of needles or other contaminated equipment, while stressing the importance of testing, prevention, and early treatment.
The launch of the “Let’s Break It Down” Viral Hepatitis Elimination Roadmap marks a renewed commitment by the state government to strengthening prevention, early detection, and access to treatment, with the ultimate goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.