Gains in Hepatitis response undercut by slow progress toward 2030 – WHO
Global efforts to curb viral hepatitis are cutting infections and deaths, but the disease continues to pose a major health threat, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Hepatitis B and C, responsible for 95% of hepatitis-related deaths, caused 1.34 million deaths in 2024. Transmission remains widespread, with about 4,900 new infections each day, or 1.8 million annually.
Progress since 2015
The 2026 global hepatitis report outlines gains made over the past decade. New hepatitis B infections have dropped by 32%, while hepatitis C-related deaths have declined by 12%.
Among children under five, hepatitis B prevalence fell to 0.6%, with 85 countries meeting or exceeding the 2030 target of 0.1%.
These improvements follow coordinated action after countries adopted hepatitis elimination targets at the 2016 World Health Assembly. Still, the report states that progress is too slow to meet all 2030 goals, with prevention, testing, and treatment efforts needing rapid expansion.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General at WHO said countries are demonstrating that hepatitis elimination is achievable with sustained political commitment and domestic funding, according to the report. He said progress remains uneven, with many people undiagnosed or untreated due to stigma, weak health systems, and unequal access to care, and added that scaling up prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is urgent to meet 2030 targets.
Ten countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, accounted for 69% of hepatitis B deaths. Hepatitis C deaths were more widely distributed, with countries such as China, India, Japan, Pakistan, and the US among those with the highest totals.
Global numbers rising, limited access to care
In 2024, an estimated 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C.
Hepatitis B accounted for 0.9 million new infections, with 68% occurring in Africa. Only 17% of newborns in the region received the birth-dose vaccine.
Another 0.9 million people were newly infected with hepatitis C. People who inject drugs made up 44% of these cases, pointing to gaps in harm reduction and safe injection services.
Treatment coverage remains limited. Fewer than 5% of the 240 million people with chronic hepatitis B received treatment in 2024. For hepatitis C, only 20% of patients have been treated since 2015, despite the availability of a 12-week therapy with a cure rate of about 95%.
Limited access to care contributed to 1.1 million deaths from hepatitis B and 240,000 from hepatitis C in 2024. Most deaths were caused by liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, with many hepatitis B-related deaths occurring in Africa and the Western Pacific.
Ten countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines, accounted for 69% of hepatitis B deaths. Hepatitis C deaths were more widely distributed, with countries such as China, India, Japan, Pakistan, and the US among those with the highest totals.
Solutions for expanded treatments
Countries such as Egypt, Georgia, Rwanda, and the UK show that eliminating hepatitis is possible with sustained investment.
Existing tools include vaccines that protect more than 95% of people against hepatitis B, long-term antiviral treatment to manage chronic infection, and short-course therapies that can cure over 95% of hepatitis C cases.
Tereza Kasaeva said the data shows both progress and gaps, according to the report. She said missed diagnoses and untreated infections lead to preventable deaths and stressed the need to integrate hepatitis services into primary care and reach affected communities.
The WHO report calls for expanded treatment for hepatitis B, especially in Africa and the Western Pacific, and wider access to hepatitis C care in the Eastern Mediterranean. It also urges stronger political commitment, improved vaccination coverage at birth, expanded measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and safer injection practices, particularly for people who inject drugs.
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