Nigeria's FG launches 'Project 365' on World Hepatitis Day 2025, a bold national plan to eliminate hepatitis by 2030 through mass screening, treatment, and vaccination nationwide.
FG Launches Project 365 to Eliminate Hepatitis by 2030
The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, has launched a very important new program called Project 365. This project aims to fight hepatitis and remove it as a health problem in Nigeria by the year 2030. The announcement was made on World Hepatitis Day 2025 at a special press briefing in Abuja.
What is Hepatitis and Why it Matters in Nigeria?
Hepatitis is a disease that mostly attacks the liver. There are different kinds of hepatitis viruses, but the main ones causing problems in Nigeria are hepatitis B and C. Many Nigerians live with these infections without knowing it because the disease often shows no clear signs early on. If not treated, hepatitis can lead to liver cancer, liver failure, and even death.
In Nigeria, over 20 million people are currently living with hepatitis B and C, with about 18.2 million infected with hepatitis B and 2.5 million with hepatitis C. Sadly, over 90% of people with hepatitis do not know that they have it. The disease sometimes is mistaken for malaria, which causes many to go untreated.
Every year, more than 4,252 Nigerians die from liver cancer linked to untreated hepatitis. The economic loss to the country because of hepatitis is huge between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion annually. This includes healthcare costs and lost productivity from sick workers.
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What is Project 365?
Project 365 is a bold, nationwide campaign that will run all year long, focusing on:
Vaccination, especially against hepatitis B
Treatment to cure or manage hepatitis infections
The project aims to reach all Nigerians, especially those in rural and underserved areas who find it hard to access healthcare.
Key Elements of Project 365
1. Viral Elimination Fund (VEF)
A new fund will be created to help Nigerians afford the cost of testing and treatment. This fund will make medicines and care more affordable and easier to get.
2. Support for Local Production
The government will encourage Nigerian companies to produce hepatitis vaccines, medicines, and testing kits locally. To help this, there will be tax breaks and easier rules for these companies. This move is meant to lower costs and improve supply.
3. Special Focus on Correctional Centres
Prisons and correctional centres often have high chances of spreading hepatitis. Project 365 will start pilot screenings in some prisons, such as in Gombe State, to catch infections early and treat inmates to avoid wider spread.
4. Daily Outreach to Underserved Communities
Health workers will visit remote and poor communities every day to provide free testing, vaccination, and treatment services. This ensures that no Nigerian is left behind, no matter where they live.
5. Expanded Vaccination and Treatment
Efforts to vaccinate more people, especially young adults who missed vaccination as children, will be increased. While there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, those infected will be given curative treatment to eliminate the virus.
6. Integration with National Health Programs
Project 365 will work together with other health funding programs like the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) to provide steady and coordinated financial support.
Leadership and Community Involvement
Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, passionately called on all Nigerians to join the fight. He said Nigeria cannot continue to have one of the highest hepatitis burdens worldwide. Nigeria has the tools and strategy now, and it is time to act urgently.
Dr. Adebola Bashorun, the National Coordinator of the National AIDS/HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), said the project is a community-driven effort. It will not just provide medicines but will also involve people and leaders at the local level to create awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage testing and vaccination.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) will also support the project by helping to educate people, especially at the grassroots level, about hepatitis and the importance of testing and vaccination.
International Support and Alignment with Global Goals
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners like the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) have strongly supported Nigeria’s commitment to Project 365. WHO praised Nigeria for integrating hepatitis services into broader health programs, including HIV and maternal health clinics.
Project 365 aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims for good health and well-being for all. It also follows the WHO Global Health Sector Strategy on Hepatitis, showing Nigeria’s readiness to meet global targets to eliminate hepatitis as a serious health threat by 2030.
Project 365 is a bold and hopeful step forward for Nigeria. With strong government leadership, community involvement, and international support, the goal of eliminating hepatitis in Nigeria by 2030 is achievable. This project promises to save lives, reduce suffering, and help Nigeria avoid huge economic losses.
The continuous efforts to screen, vaccinate, and treat Nigerians across every part of the country show that the government is serious about ending hepatitis once and for all.
Now is the time to test, treat, and eliminate hepatitis. Hepatitis can't wait, and neither should we.
Source: Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria. https://health.gov.ng/2025-world-hepatitis-day