WHO calls for stepped up action to eliminate viral hepatitis

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Countries are making measurable progress in combatting viral hepatitis, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report published on Tuesday. 

It highlights significant gains made in the fight against hepatitis B and C, which together account for 95 per cent of all hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.  

These infections claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024.  Meanwhile, transmission continues at a rate of some 1.8 million infections annually – or more than 4,900 cases every day. 

Viral infections 

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. It can be spread through contact with infected body fluids such as blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen, or passed from mother to baby. 

Disease can be acute or chronic, with chronic infection raising risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer. 

Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus of the same name. Transmission is spread through exposure to infected blood from unsafe injections, such as sharing needles and syringes or unscreened blood transfusions. 

A decade of gains 

The 2026 Global Hepatitis Report documents progress since 2015. For example, new hepatitis B infections have declined by 32 per cent while hepatitis C-related deaths have dropped by 12 per cent.  

Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has also fallen to 0.6 per cent, with 85 countries achieving or surpassing the 2030 target of reducing prevalence to 0.1 per cent. 

While these advances reflect sustained and coordinated international action towards viral hepatitis elimination targets adopted at the 2016 World Health Assembly, current rates are insufficient to meet all 2030 elimination targets. 

Urgent scale-up needed 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries have shown that “eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream,” but efforts must accelerate. 

“Many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care,” he said. 

“While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed if the world is to meet the 2030 targets.” 

Millions affected 

The report estimates that 287 million people – roughly 3 per cent of the global population – were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024.  

Although the WHO African Region accounted for 68 per cent of new hepatitis B infections, only 17 per cent of newborns there received a birth-dose vaccination. 

With regard to hepatitis C, people who inject drugs accounted for 44 per cent of new infections, underscoring the need for stronger harm reduction services and safe injection practices. 

Limited access to treatment 

Access to treatment also remains limited. Although 240 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B in 2024, fewer than five per cent were receiving treatment.    

Furthermore, only 20 per cent of people with hepatitis C have been treated since new effective treatment became available in 2015. 

Limited access to prevention and care continues to drive mortality. In 2024, roughly 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B and 240,000 from hepatitis C, mainly due to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.  

Ten countries in Asia and Africa – Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa and Viet Nam – accounted for nearly 70 per cent of hepatitis B related deaths worldwide that year.  

Hepatitis C-related deaths are more geographically dispersed. In 2024, 10 countries accounted for 58 per cent of global cases: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. 

Proven solutions exist 

Despite these challenges, WHO pointed to the highly effective tools that are already available in the fight against the disease. 

The hepatitis B vaccine is more than 95 per cent effective against both acute and chronic infections, while long-term antiviral treatment can help manage chronic infection and prevent severe liver disease. 

At the same time, short-course therapy for hepatitis C, lasting 8 to 12 weeks, can cure more than 95 per cent of cases. 

‘Progress is possible’ 

Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, stressed the need to improve access to care. 

“The data shows that progress is possible but also reveals where we are falling short. Every missed diagnosis and untreated infection due to chronic viral hepatitis represents a preventable death,” she said. 

 “Countries must move faster to integrate hepatitis services for people living with hepatitis B and C into primary care, and to reach the communities most affected.” 

Priority actions 

The report identifies priority actions to accelerate progress, including scaling up treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection particularly in the WHO African and Western Pacific regions, and expanding access to hepatitis C treatment in the Eastern Mediterranean region. 

It also calls for stronger political commitment and increased financing to expand access to hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination and medicine to prevent mother-to-child transmission.  

The report also emphasizes the need to improve injection safety both in and outside healthcare settings, including through strengthened harm reduction services for injecting drug users.