Treatment costs for hepatitis services high – Minister

Ali Pat, Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, said the high cost of treatment creates barriers to accessing hepatitis services in Africa.

Pate made the remarks on Tuesday at the 2023 Africa Hepatitis Summit in Abuja, themed “Putting Africa on track to eliminate viral hepatitis”.

I note that hepatitis continues to pose a huge threat to public health, with devastating consequences for patients around the world battling chronic infections.

However, he said hepatitis was preventable and curable and advocated for a streamlined approach in primary care.

“This approach reinforces our ongoing commitment to achieve universal health coverage by 2023. Currently, Africa is battling a significant burden of hepatitis, with 82 million and 9 million people infected with chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C respectively.

“These alarming figures are further compounded by the fact that only 0.1% of 2% of people with chronic hepatitis B were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B in 2020 and only 0% of 5% of people with chronic hepatitis B received treatment. These figures contrast with remarkable progress globally. Of the 296 million people diagnosed with CHB, 10% are receiving treatment; of the 58 million people diagnosed with CHC, 25% people are receiving treatment.”

He added that despite 90% of the risk of chronic hepatitis B infection in children being transmitted from mother to child, only 14 of 47 African countries have implemented routine hepatitis birth-dose vaccination, and only 17% of African newborns receive it in a timely manner Hepatitis vaccination. Although birth-dose vaccination is considered a cost-effective tool to prevent new infections.

“In fact, now is the time for African countries to step up their efforts to improve immunization coverage.

“With the availability of affordable direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C and tenofovir for hepatitis B, African countries are strategically prepared to overcome barriers to treatment, however, often High out-of-pocket costs for treatment continue to plague African countries. “Creating barriers to assessment. ”

I note that it is time for African countries to collaborate to advocate for local production of vaccines and improved health insurance.

He further said, “While we advocate for increased financial commitment and support for hepatitis control responses, African countries must align themselves with WHO’s new global health sector strategy, which outlines steps to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. New actions and goals.

He said: “The goal of this strategy is to reduce new infections and deaths globally by 500,000, a reduction of 90% and 65% respectively.

“In addition, maintaining public awareness and building the capacity of healthcare providers is critical and plays an important role in addressing hepatitis knowledge gaps.

“We must ensure that those at risk of hepatitis understand the modes of transmission, how to prevent infection and receive the care they need based on the principles of basic human rights, equity and universal access to treatment using primary care approaches,” he said.

Pate added that Nigeria is committed to achieving hepatitis control and eventual elimination through continuous strengthening of the primary health care system, public awareness campaigns, inclusion of hepatitis in the minimum package of national health insurance, capacity building of healthcare providers, inclusion in HIV programmes. . , strengthen routine immunization at birth, and work with stakeholders to decentralize hepatitis diagnosis and treatment.