Kigali, Rwanda - In a pivotal moment for public health in Africa, the Hepatitis Community of Practice (HepCOP) was officially launched today at the African Hepatitis Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, a forum that brings together health leaders, policymakers, civil society, and technical experts from across the continent to accelerate the fight against viral hepatitis.

Convened by the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) in collaboration with regional stakeholders, the launch of HepCOP marks a strategic milestone in advancing regional collaboration, knowledge exchange, and advocacy to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat in the African Region.

This new regional initiative comes at a crucial moment for the Region, amid shifting global health financing challenges and a disproportionately high hepatitis burden with the region accounting for 63% of global new hepatitis B infections and only 18% of newborns receiving the birth-dose vaccination. Despite the scale of the challenge, hepatitis remains largely undiagnosed and untreated, with major gaps in access to care, diagnosis, and treatment.

HepCOP aims to change this. As a dynamic platform, it will connect Ministries of Health, academia, civil society, community representatives, and partners from twelve priority countries and beyond, to share lessons learned, document best practices, and foster south-to-south collaboration.

In launching HepCOP, WHO AFRO Regional Director, Dr Mohamed Janabi, called on all key stakeholders to engage in shaping a unified regional response: “Join us, share your expertise and help shape the response. Together let’s move from fragmentation to focused collaboration”.

• The Community of Practice will focus on core areas such as:
• Strengthening National Strategic Planning, service delivery and integration.
• Strategic information and surveillance
• Shared learning and regional dissemination of best practices
• Advocacy and visibility to inspire action and mobilize support
• Implementation science to bridge policy and practice

Initial members of HepCOP include the twelve WHO AFRO priority countries—Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, along with Namibia, a newly joined member. Additional countries are expected to join as momentum builds.

The launch event generated strong enthusiasm and renewed commitment towards hepatitis elimination, with participants highlighting the urgent need for coordinated efforts, increased investment, and regional solidarity. HepCOP is expected to catalyze new partnerships, strengthen national programs, and elevate Africa’s leadership in the hepatitis response.

As the African Region moves forward, HepCOP stands as a beacon of collaboration, innovation and hope, bringing countries together to turn the tide on hepatitis and build healthier futures for all.