New scorecard – the first to examine hepatitis prevalence and response in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region, shows that only three of the 47 countries are on track to eliminate the disease that affects one in 15 people in the region. Dying of viral hepatitis in Africa is becoming a bigger threat than dying of AIDS, malaria or tuberculosis.
“This analysis is the first to track each country in the region and to assess progress towards the goal of saving the lives of more than two million Africans who may develop progressive hepatitis B or C liver disease in the next decade if countries fail to ramp up their efforts,” says Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
