A new global assessment has highlighted that a small group of countries carries a disproportionate share of deaths linked to Hepatitis B, with Nigeria among those most affected.
According to the latest report released by the World Health Organization, ten countries across Africa and Asia were responsible for roughly 70 per cent of hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide in 2024. These include Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa and Vietnam.
The same countries were also heavily represented in overall hepatitis cases. In a separate breakdown, ten nations—including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam—accounted for about 58 per cent of infections globally.
Hepatitis B is a virus that targets the liver and spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood and saliva, as well as from mother to child during childbirth. It can present as a short-term illness or develop into a chronic condition, which significantly increases the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Another major strain, Hepatitis C, is primarily transmitted through exposure to contaminated blood, often linked to unsafe medical practices like sharing needles or unscreened transfusions.
Globally, an estimated 287 million people—around three per cent of the population—were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infections in 2024.
The African region remains a major hotspot, accounting for about 68 per cent of new hepatitis B infections. However, vaccination coverage at birth remains low, with only 17 per cent of newborns receiving the recommended dose.
Despite around 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B, fewer than five per cent are currently receiving treatment. For hepatitis C, only about one in five infected individuals has accessed treatment since effective therapies became widely available in 2015.
Limited access to prevention, diagnosis and care continues to fuel high mortality rates. In 2024 alone, hepatitis B caused approximately 1.1 million deaths, while hepatitis C led to about 240,000 fatalities—mostly due to complications such as liver cirrhosis and cancer. Combined, both infections were responsible for more than 1.3 million deaths that year.
Transmission also remains a concern, with an estimated 1.8 million new infections occurring annually—equivalent to nearly 5,000 cases each day.
Even so, progress has been recorded in recent years. New hepatitis B infections have declined by about 32 per cent, while deaths linked to hepatitis C have dropped by 12 per cent. Among children under five, hepatitis B prevalence has fallen to 0.6 per cent, with dozens of countries already meeting or exceeding the 2030 target.
Hepatitis B and C together account for the vast majority of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide, and global efforts to combat them have intensified since targets were set in 2016.
The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that while eliminating hepatitis is achievable, faster progress is needed. He pointed to persistent challenges such as stigma, weak health systems and unequal access to healthcare, which leave many people undiagnosed or untreated.
He stressed that scaling up prevention, testing and treatment is critical if global elimination targets set for 2030 are to be met.
Highly effective tools are already available, including vaccines that provide over 95 per cent protection against hepatitis B, long-term antiviral therapies to manage chronic infections, and short-course treatments capable of curing most hepatitis C cases.
Stronger and more coordinated action will be required to significantly reduce the global burden of hepatitis in the coming years.