The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that global progress toward eliminating hepatitis is advancing too slowly, despite the availability of effective tools to combat the disease. Viral hepatitis B and C are responsible for 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide, claiming an estimated 1.34 million lives in 2024, according to the agency.

Each year, more than 1.8 million new hepatitis infections are reported, highlighting ongoing challenges. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak healthcare systems, and unequal access to care. “While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed,” he stated.

Hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver caused by various infectious and non-infectious agents, can lead to severe liver damage and cancer. The five main hepatitis strains include types B and C, which are among the leading infectious disease killers globally. The WHO’s Global Hepatitis Report 2026 estimates that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024.

Despite the high prevalence, treatment coverage remains low. Of the 240 million people with chronic hepatitis B, fewer than 5 percent were receiving treatment in 2024. For hepatitis C, only 20 percent of infected individuals have been treated since 2015. In Africa, the region most burdened by hepatitis B, just 17 percent of newborns received the birth dose of the vaccine in 2024.

Six countries—China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Vietnam—rank among the top ten for hepatitis B and C-related deaths. Tereza Kasaeva, director of the WHO’s hepatitis department, highlighted that every missed diagnosis or untreated infection represents a preventable death.

The WHO pointed out that effective interventions are already available. The hepatitis B vaccine can protect over 95 percent of recipients against both acute and chronic infections. Additionally, long-term antiviral treatments can help manage chronic hepatitis B and prevent severe liver disease. Hepatitis C can be cured in more than 95 percent of cases through short-course therapies lasting eight to 12 weeks.

Countries such as Britain, Egypt, Georgia, and Rwanda have demonstrated that eliminating hepatitis as a public health problem is achievable. Tedros urged that elimination efforts must be supported by sustained political commitment and reliable domestic financing.

Since 2015, some progress has been made, including a 32 percent decrease in new hepatitis B infections and a 12 percent reduction in hepatitis C-related deaths. Nevertheless, WHO stresses that further accelerated efforts are essential to meet global hepatitis elimination targets.