On July 28, Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark World Hepatitis Day 2026.
This event highlighted a silent epidemic in communities where people often treat jaundice and other ailments with herbal concoctions instead of seeking a medical diagnosis.
In Abuja, one patient’s story reveals how poverty, cultural beliefs and delayed diagnosis are contributing to a growing burden of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
At the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) oncology ward in Gwagwalada, 34-year-old Yakubu Musa sits frail on his hospital bed, his yellowed eyes revealing months of intense suffering.
Until recently, Musa earned living driving commercial buses along the busy Nyanya-Abuja route.
Then, persistent fatigue set in, followed by pain beneath his ribs and yellowing of his eyes.
Relatives attributed the symptoms to ‘iba ponju’, a common local expression often associated with severe malaria accompanied by jaundice.
Instead of seeking hospital care, Musa bought bottles of Agbo Jedijedi and another herbal mixture from a roadside vendor near Area 1 Motor Park after being assured they would “wash the liver”, “clean the blood” and cure jaundice.
For weeks, he faithfully drank the concoctions. His discomfort eased briefly, convincing him he was recovering.
Unknown to him, he had chronic Hepatitis B, a virus that specialists say can remain silent for decades while progressively damaging the liver.
By the time his condition worsened and he was rushed to UATH, doctors diagnosed advanced liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer.
Musa’s wife, Hannatu sounds dejected.
“He believed he was taking medicine.
“Every night he drank the herbs because everyone believed they would clean his liver. We spent our savings buying them. Now we struggle to pay for hospital tests,” she said.
For hepatologists, Musa’s experience reflects what many describe as the “Agbo Paradox”, where reliance on herbal remedies delays the diagnosis of viral hepatitis until the disease has advanced beyond easy treatment.
Across Abuja’s markets, motor parks and roadside stalls, herbal mixtures are sold as remedies for malaria, jaundice, stomach disorders and “dirty blood”.
The attraction is obvious. A bottle costs between N500 and N1, 000, while hospital consultation, laboratory tests and transport cost several times more before treatment even begins.
However, specialists warn that jaundice is not a disease but a symptom.
While it may result from malaria, it can also indicate Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, liver failure or bile duct obstruction.
Treating the symptom without identifying its cause can allow viral hepatitis to progress unnoticed.
Dr Emmanuel Obi, a consultant gastroenterologist in Abuja, said delayed presentation remained one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges in liver disease management.
“Hepatitis B can remain in the body for 20 years without obvious symptoms.
“When patients eventually develop jaundice or persistent fatigue, significant liver damage may already have occurred.
“Many first spend months relying on herbal remedies before seeking specialist care. By the time they arrive, we are often treating liver cirrhosis or liver cancer instead of a manageable viral infection,” he said.
As part of this investigation, visits to herbal medicine outlets in Area 1 Motor Park, Wuse Market and Nyanya found recycled plastic bottles containing dark green and brown liquids, many without labels, ingredients, dosage instructions or expiry dates.
In spite of their different appearances, vendors made similar claims, saying the mixtures could “wash the liver”, “cure jaundice” and “remove infection”.
Samples obtained during the investigation were analysed at a private biochemistry laboratory in Garki.
According to the laboratory report, they contain elevated levels of heavy metals, including lead and cadmium, alongside unregulated phytochemical compounds.
Some samples also showed microbial contamination, raising concerns about hygiene during production and storage.
Obi said such findings reinforce the need for caution.
“When patients with chronic liver disease consume unregulated herbal preparations, we often do not know what additional substances are entering an organ already under severe stress.
“But the greatest danger is the delay in getting tested. Many families spend thousands of naira on herbal mixtures while postponing hepatitis screening because they believe hospital care is unaffordable,” he said.
According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, more than 20 million Nigerians are living with viral hepatitis, including an estimated 18.2 million with Hepatitis B and 2.5 million with Hepatitis C.
The World Health Organisation identifies Nigeria as one of the countries with the world’s highest hepatitis burden.
Dr Adebobola Bashorun, National Coordinator of the National HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), said more than 90 per cent of infected Nigerians did not know they were carrying the virus.
“Hepatitis B and C can remain silent for years while continuously damaging the liver until complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer develop.
“For many families, diagnosis comes only after years of searching for answers and exhausting their savings on treatments that never addressed the underlying illness,” he said.
Public health expert, Dr Adaobi Onyechi, said Nigeria’s contribution to global hepatitis deaths reflected a neglected epidemic.
“We are dealing with millions of people living with chronic infection who present only after irreversible liver damage has occurred.
“Our priority should be expanding access to early diagnosis by integrating hepatitis services into primary healthcare.
“Scaling up Hepatitis B vaccination also remains one of the country’s strongest preventive measures,” she said.
A resident doctor, Dr Muhammad Sanusi, said delayed healthcare-seeking and poor public awareness continued to sustain Nigeria’s hepatitis burden.
“Many Nigerians know very little about viral hepatitis, how it is transmitted or why early testing matters.
“We must invest more in public education and ensure vaccines are equitably available, particularly for vulnerable populations,” he said.
Observers say another challenge is regulating the informal herbal medicine market.
Across Abuja, herbal mixtures are openly sold without labels or evidence of regulatory approval, with some vendors claiming they can cure liver infections and cleanse the liver.
Dr Terfa Kene, National President of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), said stronger regulation should be accompanied by collaboration with responsible traditional medicine practitioners.
Kene recommended training traditional healers to recognise warning signs of hepatitis and refer clients promptly for laboratory testing.
The World Hepatitis Day 2026 with the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” calls for removing barriers to testing, vaccination and treatment to achieve the global goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
Experts say this requires expanding hepatitis screening, lowering care costs, and regulating herbal medicines.
(NANFeatures)
