ADDIS ABABA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- 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.
The call came as the global community marked World Hepatitis Day, observed each year on July 28 to raise awareness of viral hepatitis.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya highlighted notable national successes in Africa's fight against the deadly disease, noting that such progress "underscores a common lesson: when political commitment is matched by domestic financing, innovation, and partnership, hepatitis elimination becomes a realistic and affordable goal."
The agency called for increasing domestic financing and innovative funding mechanisms to expand hepatitis prevention, testing, and treatment; deepening regional cooperation and partnerships to share expertise, scale up proven interventions, and sustain momentum toward the 2030 elimination targets; and fostering public awareness and community engagement in elimination efforts. ■