Kwara Unveils Roadmap to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis by 2030

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The Kwara State Government has inaugurated a comprehensive Viral Hepatitis Elimination Roadmap, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating the disease as a public health threat in the state by 2030.

The roadmap, unveiled in Ilorin on Monday, is themed “Let’s Break It Down” and is designed to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and public awareness of viral hepatitis across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Kwara 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.

She said the roadmap serves as a strategic blueprint for ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat in Kwara by 2030, in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global elimination targets.

“Viral hepatitis remains a silent killer in our communities. Recent data indicates that Nigeria accounts for approximately 15 per cent of the global burden of Hepatitis B, with an estimated 20 million Nigerians living with chronic Hepatitis B or C infection,” El-Imam explained.

She noted that thousands of people in Kwara, like in other parts of the country, could be living with the infection without knowing their status, putting them at risk of complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

According to her, the continued burden of the disease should not be viewed as a reason for despair but as a call for stronger and more coordinated action.

The commissioner further explained that the roadmap was not a standalone document but an operational extension of the “Kwara Model” of health system strengthening, designed to align the state’s response with the WHO’s 2030 elimination targets.

She said the global targets include diagnosing 90 per cent of people living with viral hepatitis and ensuring that 80 per cent of those eligible for treatment receive it.

El-Imam assured that the state government would intensify screening programmes to determine the prevalence of viral hepatitis in the state and ensure that infected persons are identified and linked to appropriate care.

She also announced plans to aggressively scale up Hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination, noting that improved coverage of the vaccine remains a key priority in preventing mother-to-child transmission of the virus.

According to her, 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 decentralised through the state’s network of PHCs and general hospitals to make services more accessible to residents.

The commissioner further disclosed that the roadmap would establish a stronger surveillance system to monitor the incidence and prevalence of viral hepatitis, as well as treatment outcomes.

According to her; “This will ensure that our 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 significant health concern in Nigeria, saying the roadmap would provide direction for strengthening healthcare services and reducing the disease burden in Kwara.

Dr.Taoheed appealed to stakeholders, particularly traditional rulers, religious leaders and community leaders, 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 faithful implementation of the document would significantly reduce the burden of viral hepatitis in the state.

 Prof.Olokooba said 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, HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and Other STIs Control Unit, Dr Rasheed Muhammad, described viral hepatitis as a major health scourge that causes inflammation of the liver.

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.

Dr.Muhammad described Hepatitis B as a “silent infection” because many infected persons may not know their status and could unknowingly transmit the virus to others.

He explained that Hepatitis B could be transmitted through exposure to infected blood, sexual contact, sharing of needles and other contaminated materials, 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 Kwara 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.

Saad Hamdalat, 
Press Sec MOH 
0816 6520 513

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