World Hepatitis Day: Patients decry funding challenge, job losses

Patients in Nigeria have shared their harrowing experiences as the global community marks World Hepatitis Day today, July 28, 2025, under the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.” Yusuf (surname withheld) was diagnosed with Hepatitis B when he applied for employment in a security agency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. He said that […]

Patients in Nigeria have shared their harrowing experiences as the global community marks World Hepatitis Day today, July 28, 2025, under the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.”

Yusuf (surname withheld) was diagnosed with Hepatitis B when he applied for employment in a security agency in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. He said that for over two years, he tried to cure the disease using traditional medicine, but without success. Eventually, he went to the hospital for treatment. His doctors told him the disease had already damaged his liver and would have been much worse if he had waited longer before seeking care.

“Though the disease has no cure yet, I have meticulously been taking my medication, and it has helped me manage it,” Yusuf said.

Victoria works as a salesgirl at a beer parlor in the Kubwa Area of Abuja. She struggled to make ends meet. She later got another job as a cleaner in a private firm in Garki, where she was to earn triple what she earned at the fruit market. She was excited, but her joy was cut short shortly before resumption when the organisation conducted a hepatitis test and she tested positive for Hepatitis C. The organisation politely informed her that she could no longer be employed.

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Oga Odowgu (not his real name) said he was depressed when he tested positive for Hepatitis B at a public hospital. “I have started receiving counseling from my doctor. I’m certain I can get better if I adhere to the treatment,” he said.

Elizabeth was about to wed Yinka in a church. The church mandated them to carry out a test, and she tested positive for Hepatitis C. Coincidentally, her fiancé also tested positive for Hepatitis C. As they proceeded with their wedding plans, they were consoled by the fact that Hepatitis C could now be treated.

In Plateau State, after Asabe Alex tested positive for Hepatitis B a few months ago, she was told to look for another center for a confirmation test. However, to date, she has not been able to do the test, citing the lack of a nearby testing center, economic hardship, and lack of funds to travel to any of the far-away centers recommended to her (ECWA pharmacy/testing center and UTC, in Jos, the Plateau State capital).

Asabe, 44, who lives in Jos, told our correspondent that she became aware of her status when a non-governmental organisation came to her area for medical outreach. Nevertheless, she has not been able to do the confirmation test and has resigned herself to fate until she can. However, she has vaccinated her 17-year-old daughter against the disease to protect her.

On his part, Isaac Solomon, who resides in Bukuru, said his wife has been undergoing treatment for the past three years, but her results haven’t changed. According to him, the treatment and testing were time-consuming and expensive, so they decided to abandon it and focus on her market business.

There is a prevalence of Hepatitis B and C in Plateau State. A research study involving 1,000 patients undergoing clinical evaluation revealed an HBV prevalence as high as 13.9%, while HCV prevalence was estimated at 6.8%. This is according to Janet Itelima of the University of Jos, as published in the Journal of Antivirals and Antiretrovirals.

A Hepatitis patient in Bauchi, Sabitu Abdullahi, told Daily Trust that he has battled the disease for the past six years. “Life has not been easy for me after I was diagnosed with Hepatitis B and admitted to the hospital in 2019. It has been back and forth with the treatment of the disease,” he said.

 

Experts speak

Ogunmola Aderonke, a hepatitis specialist, said that when living with a chronic form of hepatitis, like hepatitis B and C, symptoms may not be discovered until liver function is affected. However, she said people with acute hepatitis may present symptoms shortly after contracting a virus.

On ways of preventing the virus, Aderonke said there are vaccines that can help protect against hepatitis viruses. She added that minimising one’s risk of exposure to substances containing these viruses can also be an important preventive measure.

Janet Itelima of the University of Jos, in the Journal of Antivirals and Antiretrovirals, stated that the disease condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis. She added that though infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global public health problem, in Nigeria, as well as in many developing countries, the majority of infected individuals are unaware of having this disease. Hence, her desire for the investigation that was carried out to determine the prevalence of hepatitis B and C among patients attending clinical examinations in four major hospitals located in Jos, Plateau State.

Dr. Aniorjiude Fabian Ekene of the Healthy Livercare Initiative said the fatality rates associated with hepatitis vary depending on the phase of the disease. In the acute phase, he said the fatality rate for both HBV and HCV is less than 1%, while in the chronic phase, where the infection progresses over time, the fatality rate may increase to between 15% and 30% due to complications like cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

On the prevention and management of the disease, he emphasized that awareness is key to the effective prevention and control of hepatitis, adding that through targeted educational efforts, individuals are more likely to participate in screening and vaccination programs. He said the government plays vital roles by expanding immunization programs and providing subsidized vaccines to increase community participation. “It is essential for society to combat stigma and work collectively to dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding viral hepatitis,” he added.

Chief Consultant of Internal Medicine at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH), Bauchi, Dr. Mustapha Sabo Umar, described Hepatitis as a “silent killer disease,” stressing that “Many people don’t know they have hepatitis until it manifests and the disease has gone into advanced stage.”

He said: “It is very important for people to know the mode of infection or how they can get infected with Hepatitis because it is a disease that one can get from another person, which can be through blood transfusion.”

Umar said that children are also vulnerable to infection if they come in contact with the blood or fluid of their counterparts playing together. “Another mode of transmission is from an infected mother to child, especially during delivery. Not just children, anybody who comes in contact with body fluids or blood of an infected person can easily get the disease,” he said. He added that a person can also be infected through some traditional cultural practices like traditional ear piercing and local circumcision.

He called on local barbers and traditional birth attendants to always sterilise their tools before using them on another person to reduce the mode of transmission of the disease.

Dr. Ubak Edikan, a medical doctor at the Nigerian Air Force Institute of Safety (NAFIS) in Ipetu-Ijesa, Osun state, listed better access to care and stronger government support as part of the means to tackling the growing burden of Hepatitis in the country. “We need affordable and accessible screening and treatment programs. The government must subsidize the cost of medication and educate the public. The fight against Hepatitis must be seen as a national priority,” he said.

Speaking at a summit on hepatitis, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment toward the control and elimination of Hepatitis in Nigeria. According to him, this obligation is manifested through the continuous strengthening of the primary healthcare system, public awareness campaigns, inclusion of Hepatitis in the minimum package of national health insurance, capacity building of healthcare providers, integration into the HIV program, strengthening birth dose routine immunization, and collaboration with stakeholders to decentralize diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis.

“We will persist in working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other stakeholders, as well as mobilize and sustain domestic funding until Nigeria is hepatitis-free, as every step taken toward the elimination of hepatitis is a stride toward safeguarding our future generations,” he added. The minister advocated for augmented financial commitment and support for the Hepatitis control response.

 

Understanding Hepatitis

This year’s theme, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Global Community of Practice, is aimed at dismantling financial, social, and systemic barriers that hinder hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention, emphasizing the need to simplify, scale up, and integrate hepatitis services.

Hepatitis, a general term referring to inflammation of the liver, may result from various causes, both infectious (i.e., viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic organisms) and noninfectious (e.g., alcohol, drugs, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases).

There are five types of Hepatitis – A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis B and C are the most common in Nigeria, and they cause liver damage which can result in liver cancer. Medical experts say it is not everyone who has Hepatitis B that will end up having liver cancer, but having it increases the risk of the cancer.

Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through the oral route, by contaminated food and water. Fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and yellow eyes are some of the symptoms, and they often resolve on their own. They don’t remain in the body to cause further damage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 354 million people worldwide live with Hepatitis B or C, and for most, testing and treatment remain beyond reach. In Nigeria, nearly 20 million people are estimated to be infected with hepatitis B or C.

Some types of hepatitis are preventable through vaccination. A WHO study found that an estimated 4.5 million premature deaths could be prevented in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 through vaccination, diagnostic tests, medicines, and education campaigns.

The number of deaths from viral hepatitis worldwide increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. These figures equate to approximately 3,500 deaths per day due to the disease, which is the second leading cause of mortality from infectious agents globally. These data are part of the Global Hepatitis Report 2024, which was published by the WHO during the World Hepatitis Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. The report reveals that despite advances in diagnostic tools and treatment options, global treatment rates and coverage for detection tests have stagnated.

“This report paints a concerning picture: Despite global progress in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are increasing because very few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD.

Hepatitis B is significantly associated with the highest mortality rate, accounting for 83% of deaths from the disease in 2022. Meanwhile, Hepatitis C was responsible for 17% of deaths. The mortality of other, less common types of hepatitis was not considered in this ranking.