Karungi Doreen
Kigali, 2 January 2026 Rwanda has officially introduced the Universal Hepatitis B Birth Dose into its national routine immunization program, a major milestone aimed at protecting newborns from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and its lifelong complications.
Under this new intervention, every newborn in Rwanda will receive a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. This timely vaccination is the most effective and cost effective measure to prevent mother to child transmission of hepatitis B, a highly infectious viral disease that can be transmitted during childbirth.
Medical experts note that when hepatitis B infection occurs at birth, up to 95 percent of infected infants develop chronic hepatitis B, significantly increasing their risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer later in life. Globally, an estimated 296 million people are living with chronic hepatitis B, and viral hepatitis causes over one million deaths each year, mainly from liver cancer and cirrhosis.
Rwanda has made remarkable progress in hepatitis prevention and control through strong immunization systems, widespread screening, and free access to treatment.
The prevalence for hepatitis B is reported to be low in the country, with national statistics indicating 0.26 percent. This is an indicator that the continuous efforts in public health have been successful.
The addition of the universal birth dose helps to make Rwanda’s pledge to eradicate viral hepatitis as a public health problem by 2030 even stronger.
In preparation for the successful execution of the programme, the health facilities nationwide are adequately equipped to administer the vaccine to the child within 24 hours of birth or to children born at home. The health workforce is adequately trained, and the cold chain is strengthened to ensure the safety of the vaccine.
The Rwanda Biomedical Centre has appealed to health staff, parents, and communities, as well as partners, to support this intervention by ensuring that all children receive their hepatitis B birth dose.
Together, Rwanda is moving forward in big ways to protect all children and ensure a hepatitis free future for their nation. Vaccines are lifesavers.
