By Joy Odor
In a bold national effort to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched Project 365, a year-round campaign aimed at drastically reducing the burden of hepatitis B and C across the country.
The initiative was unveiled during a ministerial press briefing to commemorate World Hepatitis Day 2025, held at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, revealed that over 20 million Nigerians are living with hepatitis B and C 18.2 million with hepatitis B and 2.5 million with hepatitis C.
Alarmingly, more than 90% remain undiagnosed, leading to silent transmission and thousands of preventable deaths annually.
Professor Pate, represented by Dr. Godwin Ntadom, Director of Public Health at the ministry, described hepatitis as a “silent killer” often misdiagnosed as malaria.
He noted that hepatitis-related liver cancer claims over 4,200 Nigerian lives annually and causes economic losses estimated between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion per year.
The Minister announced Project 365 as a bold national strategy to ramp up screening, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment, particularly in underserved rural areas.
The initiative complements efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis, HIV, and STIs.
To sustain the momentum, the Ministry unveiled several structural reforms and financial commitments:
Establishment of a Viral Elimination Fund (VEF)
Increased budgetary allocations to hepatitis programming
Tax incentives and regulatory reforms to boost local vaccine and drug manufacturing
Proposed legislative backing to expand diagnostic and treatment access nationwide
“These steps are vital to making hepatitis medications accessible and laying the foundation for sustainable local pharmaceutical manufacturing,” Pate said.
He added: “Nigeria can no longer bear the label of having the third-highest hepatitis burden globally. We have the science, the strategy, and now the will to act.”
Dr. Adebobola Bashorun, Director and National Coordinator of NASCP, outlined key components of Project 365’s public outreach:
Mass community testing
Hepatitis B vaccinations for uninfected individuals
Treatment rollout for hepatitis C
Community advocacy on hygiene, safe sex, and prevention
Bashorun urged adults above 21, especially those born before Nigeria’s 2004 hepatitis B birth-dose policy to get tested and vaccinated if negative.
He also emphasized the need to break stigma, implement national frameworks aligned with SDG 3, and integrate hepatitis care into broader health services.
In her remarks, Mrs. Adaugo Ngwu, representing the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), pledged the agency’s support in amplifying hepatitis awareness at the grassroots level.
“As the citizen engagement arm of the government, NOA will mobilize civil society and traditional institutions to ensure people understand the importance of testing, vaccination, and treatment,” she said.
Development partners also expressed strong backing for Nigeria’s renewed commitment.
Dr. Mya Sapal Ngon, representing the World Health Organization (WHO), praised Nigeria for prioritizing hepatitis and integrating services into platforms like maternal health clinics and HIV programs.
“We commend Nigeria’s focus on reducing stigma, increasing domestic financing, and expanding treatment access. Together, we can break hepatitis down,” WHO noted.
Mr. Chukwuemeka Agwuocha, speaking for the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), applauded Nigeria’s shift to a public health model that embeds hepatitis care into existing systems and community services.
With Project 365, Nigeria has signaled a firm intent to eliminate hepatitis by 2030, ensuring that access to prevention, care, and dignity is a right for all, not a privilege.
