2026 WORLD HEPATITIS DAY: FCTA INTENSIFIES FIGHT AGAINST VIRAL HEPATITIS

By: Khadijat Kawunda

To mark the 2026 World Hepatitis Day (WHD), the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reiterated its commitment to eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, in line with the World Health Organization’s global elimination target.

This was stated by the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, during a community outreach at the Garki Village Chief’s Palace held to commemorate this year’s World Hepatitis Day with the theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.”

The Mandate Secretary, who was represented by the Director of the FCT Department of Public Health, Dr. Teresa Nwachukwu, said the FCT Administration remains committed to actionable health governance across the Territory, stressing that, “the FCT Administration has a simple philosophy: ‘We say it, and we do it.’ Through our 365 Days to Break Down Hepatitis strategy, we are taking awareness, prevention, testing and treatment closer to the people, constituency by constituency and Area Council by Area Council.”

Dr. Fasawe explained that the year-round initiative aligns with the national hepatitis elimination strategy and is designed to tackle Nigeria’s high burden of chronic Hepatitis B by integrating hepatitis screening, counselling and treatment into routine primary healthcare, maternal and child health services, as well as HIV programmes across the Territory.

Additionally, she noted that the outreach, organised in collaboration with development partners including the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Abbott and Nisa Premier Hospital, provided residents of Garki Village with free health education, hepatitis screening, counselling and prompt referrals for further medical care.

Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary further disclosed that the FCT Administration is strengthening specialized hepatitis care through standardized referral pathways across six designated hospitals: Asokoro District Hospital, Gwarinpa General Hospital, Nyanya General Hospital, Garki Hospital, Bwari General Hospital and Kubwa General Hospital. She added that the Administration is also leveraging the FCT Health Insurance Scheme to expand access to hepatitis counselling, testing, antiviral treatment and routine infant vaccination through Primary Healthcare Centres across the Territory.

Also speaking, Consultant Physician and Gastroenterologist at Garki Hospital, Dr. Igbiti Justice, observed that public awareness of viral hepatitis remains significantly lower than that of HIV, despite Hepatitis B being more than ten times as infectious. He warned that many patients only seek medical attention after developing advanced liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Dr. Justice explained that testing positive for Hepatitis B does not necessarily require immediate medication, but stressed that every patient should undergo proper medical evaluation and regular follow-up to determine the appropriate course of treatment and prevent disease progression.

In his remarks, one of the beneficiaries of the outreach, Mr. Ayuba Dimis, commended the FCT Administration and its partners for bringing free healthcare services closer to the people, describing the initiative as timely and impactful.

He encouraged other residents to take advantage of similar outreach programmes by knowing their hepatitis status through regular screening.

The outreach featured free screening for viral hepatitis, malaria and syphilis, health education sessions, counselling and referral services as part of the FCT Administration’s sustained efforts to improve access to quality healthcare at the grassroots.

The FCT Administration reaffirmed its commitment to working with development partners and communities to achieve the World Health Organization’s target of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.