By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Dr. Allan Pamba, Executive Vice President of Roche Diagnostics Africa, has called for greater collaboration and urgency in the fight against hepatitis across the continent, warning that the disease remains underdiscussed despite its deadly impact.

In a statement highlighting the need for awareness and action, Dr. Pamba noted that hepatitis B and C remain widespread yet often overlooked, with over 300,000 people in Africa dying from the disease in 2022—most unaware they were even infected.

“Hepatitis affects everyday people—teachers, technicians, mothers—and yet we rarely talk about it in our homes, schools, or workplaces,” he said.

Through a Roche awareness campaign, the stories of Mary, a retired teacher in Nairobi, and Michael, a pharmacy technician in Abuja—both living with hepatitis B—underscore the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Thanks to timely care, both lead healthy lives.

Dr. Pamba stressed that hepatitis can be controlled—and even eliminated—with the right interventions: early testing, accurate diagnosis, access to treatment, and political will.

He pointed to Egypt’s landmark success in eliminating hepatitis C, becoming the first country to achieve the WHO’s “Gold Tier” status. Through its “100 Million Healthy Lives” campaign launched in 2018, Egypt screened over 60 million people and treated four million, using government support, World Bank funding, and integrated diagnostics to achieve scale.

“Egypt proved that with strategic partnerships and leadership, elimination is possible. Scale works when we mobilize the right resources.”

Nigeria has also made strides, including partnerships to expand hepatitis B birth dose vaccination and improve diagnostic access. But many countries still lag—not due to lack of tools, but because hepatitis is often not prioritized.

According to Dr. Pamba, most African countries already have molecular testing platforms from the fight against HIV, TB, and COVID-19 that can also be used for hepatitis. What’s needed now is better domestic funding, policy alignment, and education.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We need to leverage what’s already there,” he said.

He urged governments to integrate hepatitis testing into routine antenatal visits, school health programs, blood drives, and community clinics. He also emphasized the importance of training healthcare workers using updated WHO guidelines.

Dr. Pamba concluded by calling for united public-private partnerships and community engagement across Africa.

“No child should be born with hepatitis B. No young mother should miss her diagnosis. With early testing, affordable treatment, and strong leadership, we can eliminate hepatitis by 2030.”

“Let this be the decade we break the silence. Let this be the year Africa leads.”