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.

Resource Person: Dr Chua Siew Houy, general physician and rheumatologist at IMU University.

Many people do not realise that the hepatitis virus can cause chronic liver disease and even lead to liver cancer.

When it comes to one’s health and prevention of disease, few people think of protecting their liver because – let’s face it – many people do not even know what this essential organ does.

It may therefore come as a surprise to learn that the liver is both an organ and a gland, performing a wide range of functions to keep the body healthy. For example, it helps to clean toxins from blood and stores glycogen for energy. It also produces bile, which helps to break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

However, these important functions can be threatened by the hepatitis virus, of which there are five – hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Any of these can cause the liver to become inflamed.

How it spreads

Hepatitis A and E are usually spread when people consume infected food and/or water, often due to conditions where personal hygiene or sanitation is poor. This is known as the faecal-oral route.

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) can remain infectious on hands for several hours, on foods for several days, and on frozen foods, surfaces, and in faeces for several months. Consuming undercooked animal liver is the most common cause of hepatitis E.

Meanwhile, hepatitis B, C and D viruses are transmitted through infected blood and other bodily fluids, with hepatitis B (HBV) being commonly passed from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth.

Other forms of transmission of hepatitis B, C and D viruses include unprotected sex with an infected partner, sharing of needles and other exposure to contaminated blood.

The hepatitis D virus (HDV) is known as a ‘satellite virus’ as it relies on HBV to replicate. Hence, it can only infect people who are also infected with HBV” said Dr Chua Siew Houy, a general physician and rheumatologist at IMU University.

Symptoms to watch out for

Hepatitis A, B and C are common in Malaysia and most cases are self-limiting but Dr Chua advises that we should not take it lightly – approximately 1 million individuals are chronically infected with HBV, which accounts for over 80% of liver cancer in Malaysia.1

As viral hepatitis infections can be asymptomatic, many remain unaware that they are infected. More worrisome is the fact that, even without symptoms, these individuals are still contagious and could unknowingly infect others.

Common symptoms for hepatitis infection: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and/or vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin/eyes), pale-coloured stool

Get a blood test

The only way to confirm viral hepatitis is to get a blood test. As many are asymptomatic, viral hepatitis is often discovered incidentally through routine screening tests. In a community-based chronic hepatitis B (CHB) screening campaign in Malaysia, it was found that only approximately 13% of the people who were tested positive for CHB were aware of having hepatitis B.2
Therefore, to close the gap and break the chain of infection, screening and vaccination are important, alongside a healthy lifestyle.

Vaccination against hepatitis

Vaccination is an effective method to protect against both HAV and HBV, with the hepatitis B vaccine given to infants within 24 hours of birth. Thereafter, the follow-up doses are given in a combination vaccine at 2, 3 and 5 months of age.3

Those who are unsure of their vaccination status or at higher risk of HBV should be screened for their immune status and consider booster doses if needed. These include:
patients with chronic liver disease, those who are immunocompromised, intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, travellers to areas of high endemicity, healthcare workers

Treatment is available for viral hepatitis to eradicate the virus and prevent liver disease progression. Expectant mothers who test positive for hepatitis B, especially those with a high viral load, can be given antiviral medications, alongside hepatitis B vaccination and immunoglobulin injections for their child immediately after birth to reduce the risk of perinatal HBV transmission, and thus minimise the child’s risk of developing CHB later in life. While there is no vaccine available for hepatitis C, effective treatment is available in the form of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), an effective therapy with a success rate of more than 95%. 5

Reducing the risk of infection

To further reduce the risk of infection to yourself and avoid passing it to others, it is important to practice good personal hygiene and practice a safe and healthy lifestyle.

Safety practices to prevent hepatitis infection:
Avoid contact with infected blood and bodily fluid; clean blood spills with bleach; cover any wounds or cuts; discard blood-stained items (including feminine hygiene products) in separate plastic bags to avoid contamination; ensure good sanitation; and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before eating and after using the toilet.

In addition, it is also important to avoid high-risk activities such as unprotected sex and injecting drugs, ensure that any needles used for acupuncture, body piercing and tattoos are new and sterile, make careful food choices, as hepatitis A and E are often transmitted through contaminated food and water, especially in foods like raw shellfish, and wash fruits and vegetables before eating

All these precautions – screening, vaccination, and lifestyle – are important to help reduce the risk of infection and prevent hepatitis from spreading further among our population. Remember, vaccination not only protects yourself but others too, especially the ones closest to you.