Africa CDC urges continental action to eliminate hepatitis by 2030

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called for accelerated continental action to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.



The African Union's specialized continental public health agency, in a statement issued Tuesday, said that despite being preventable and treatable, hepatitis B and C remain major causes of death, with Africa carrying one of the highest burdens globally.



Data from the Africa CDC show that an estimated 64 million Africans live with chronic hepatitis B, yet only 6 percent know their status and fewer than 2 percent receive treatment.



"The challenge is no longer a lack of scientific solutions but a gap in implementation," the agency said, emphasizing that integrating hepatitis services into broader health systems and universal health coverage efforts is essential to closing this gap and achieving elimination targets.