The National AIDS Control Program (NACP), in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH), launched a nationwide hepatitis B awareness and testing campaign on Monday, July 28, 2025, coinciding with World Hepatitis Day.
The campaign aims to raise public awareness, promote early testing and treatment, and confront the silent but deadly threat posed by viral hepatitis, particularly Hepatitis B and C, across Liberia.
This year’s global theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” accompanied by the urgent slogan, “Hepatitis Can’t Wait,” underscores the importance of dismantling stigma and misinformation surrounding the disease.
The campaign commenced with free, widespread testing at multiple locations including the Ministry of Health in Congo Town, the Ministerial Complex, and the NACP office at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Sinkor. It targets not only the general population but particularly young people, who are most vulnerable to hepatitis infections.
Addressing the public during the launch, Assistant Minister for Preventive Services, Dr Cuallau Jabbeh-Howe, issued a compelling call to action. “We are here today for a very important program. We are celebrating World Hepatitis Week, and today, July 28, is being observed globally as World Hepatitis Day,” she said.
Dr Jabbeh-Howe stressed the critical need for testing as a gateway to managing health: “It is good for you to know your status so you can better plan and know how to take good care of yourself.
Don’t get ill unknowingly. It is always good to know your health status.”
She also highlighted the perils of denial and silence prevalent in Liberia’s health culture. “A lot of us don’t want to know our status, which is very bad and dangerous.
If you don’t know, you won’t be able to plan properly, and you won’t have someone to treat you properly. That’s why today, we are calling upon you to do your free testing so that you can be advised on how to move forward.”
According to Dr Jabbeh-Howe, hepatitis is rapidly emerging as a leading cause of death, particularly among Liberia’s youth. “Hepatitis is silently killing many of our young people and is now becoming one of the top killers in Liberia. So please, get tested.
Know your status. Call your family. Share the word,” she urged.
The campaign will continue until July 31, with free Hepatitis B testing available at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, focusing on civil servants, government employees, and the public. Health workers are on hand to offer testing, counselling, and education about prevention and treatment.
The week-long observance is dedicated not only to testing but also to breaking the silence and stigma surrounding hepatitis, fully aligned with this year’s national message, “Let’s Break It Down.” The Ministry of Health hopes to demystify the disease by educating Liberians on its symptoms, transmission, prevention, and treatment options.
World Hepatitis Day, observed annually on July 28, marks the birthday of Nobel laureate Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus and developed the first vaccine. The day serves as a focal point for intensifying global and national efforts to eliminate hepatitis, a goal championed by the World Health Organization with a target to eradicate the disease by 2030.
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