Nigeria Ranks Among Top 10 Countries for Global Hepatitis Deaths, WHO Warns

A new World Health Organization report reveals that Nigeria and nine other nations accounted for 69 percent of hepatitis B-related deaths in 2024. The study finds that hepatitis B and C caused roughly 1.34 million deaths worldwide last year, with 1.8 million new infections annually. Nigeria also ranks among the leading contributors to hepatitis C fatalities, alongside China, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States. Globally, 287 million people now live with chronic hepatitis B or C, while the African region records 68 percent of new hepatitis B infections but only 17 percent of newborns receive the birth-dose vaccine. Injection drug use drives 44 percent of new hepatitis C cases, underlining the urgent need for harm reduction and safer injection practices. Despite these challenges, progress is visible: new hepatitis B infections have fallen by 32 percent since 2015, and hepatitis C deaths are down by 12 percent. The WHO calls on governments to expand vaccination, improve testing and treatment access, strengthen injection safety and fully integrate hepatitis services into primary healthcare to meet the 2030 elimination goals.

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