Every 30 seconds, hepatitis claims a life, WHO warns

By Cecilia Ologunagba

World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on governments and partners to urgently accelerate efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reduce liver cancer deaths.

WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, made the call in his message to mark the 2026 World Hepatitis Day, globally celebrated on July 28.

To mark World Hepatitis Day, WHO is partnering with Rotary International and the World Hepatitis Alliance to strengthen global and local advocacy.

According to Ghebreyesus this year’s campaign ”Hepatitis: Let’s Break it Down” demands action to confront the rising toll of liver cancer linked to chronic hepatitis infections.

He also called for decisive steps to dismantle persistent barriers from stigma to funding gaps that continued to slow progress in prevention, testing, and treatment.

“Every 30 seconds, someone dies from a hepatitis-related severe liver disease or liver cancer. Yet we have the tools to stop hepatitis.

”Viral hepatitis types A, B, C, D, and E are major causes of acute liver infection.

”Among these only hepatitis B, C, and D can lead to chronic infections that significantly increase the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

”Yet most people with hepatitis don’t know they’re infected. Types B, C, and D affect over 300 million people globally and cause more than 1.3 million deaths each year, mainly from liver cirrhosis and cancer.

”The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently classified hepatitis D as carcinogenic to humans, just like hepatitis B and C.

”Hepatitis D, which only affects individuals infected with the hepatitis B, is associated with a two- to six-fold higher risk of liver cancer compared to hepatitis B alone.

”This reclassification marks a critical step in global efforts to raise awareness, improve screening, and expand access to new treatments for hepatitis D,” he added.

Also the incoming Director of Science for Health at WHO, Dr Meg Doherty, says WHO has published guidelines on testing and diagnosis of Hepatitis B and D in 2024, and is actively following the clinical outcomes from innovative treatments for hepatitis D.

”Treatment with oral medicine can cure hepatitis C within two to three months and effectively suppress hepatitis B with life-long therapy.

”Treatment options for hepatitis D are evolving. However, the full benefit of reducing liver cirrhosis and cancer deaths can only be realised through urgent action to scale up and integrate hepatitis services – including vaccination, testing, harm reduction, and treatment into national health systems.

”Encouragingly, the majority of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have strategic plans on hepatitis in place and progress in national hepatitis responses is increasing,” she said.

The UN health agency said that in 2025, the number of countries reporting national hepatitis action plans increased from 59 to 123.

It noted that as of 2025, 129 countries have adopted policies for hepatitis B testing among pregnant women, up from 106 reported in 2024; adding that 147 countries have introduced the hepatitis B birth dose vaccination, an increase from 138 in 2022.

However, critical gaps remain in service coverage and outcomes, as stated in the 2024 Global Hepatitis Report.

The next challenge will be to scale up the implementation of prevention, testing and treatment coverage. Achieving WHO’s 2030 targets can save 2.8 million lives and prevent 9.8 million new infections.

With declining donor support, countries must prioritise domestic investment, integrated services, better data, affordable medicines, and ending stigma.

(NAN)