NEWS | Health | Edwin Mauluka
Malawi’s hepatitis prevalence stands at 8.1%, meaning roughly one in every 12 adults is living with the disease, prompting renewed calls for greater awareness, testing and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
WHO Representative to Malawi Charles Kuria Njuguna said the biggest challenge is that many people are infected without knowing it.
“That means one in every 12 adult people has hepatitis,” Njuguna told reporters during commemorations of World Hepatitis Day. “The main challenge is that many people do not know they have hepatitis. It is therefore critical that we create awareness in our communities.”
Observed under the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” World Hepatitis Day aims to promote open conversations, tackle misinformation and encourage testing. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by viral infections, and can lead to life-threatening complications if left untreated.
Njuguna said increasing public awareness would encourage more people to get tested and access treatment, helping reduce infections and support the global goal of eliminating hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030.
He also stressed the need to strengthen prevention efforts, including ensuring that every newborn receives the hepatitis vaccine.
“At WHO, we support the government in maintaining a strong immunisation programme that provides vaccines to children. We also support laboratory infrastructure to improve hepatitis diagnosis and detection,” he said.
Njuguna urged Malawians to make use of available screening, vaccination and treatment services, noting that early diagnosis can prevent serious complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi said many people living with chronic hepatitis B remain unaware of their status, making treatment more difficult and costly.
“We want to encourage everyone to know their status. Treatment is available across the country. Hepatitis is preventable, and we want to ensure that no one dies from a disease that can be prevented and treated,” Baloyi said.
She acknowledged that stigma, misinformation and unequal access to diagnostic and treatment services continue to delay care for many patients.
Baloyi said the government remains committed to achieving the global target of eliminating hepatitis by 2030 by integrating hepatitis services into existing HIV and primary healthcare programmes.
“We are integrating viral hepatitis into existing HIV and primary healthcare services. We are expanding screening and treatment in health facilities across the country, while strengthening programmes that prevent mother-to-child transmission to reduce infections from birth,” she said.
Board Chairperson of the Patients and Community Welfare Foundation of Malawi, King Noman Rudi, said civil society organisations are working alongside the government to raise awareness and reduce the stigma that discourages people from seeking testing and treatment.
“As one of the civil society organisations, we continue to sensitise Malawians about the dangers of hepatitis while emphasising that the disease is preventable,” he said.
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