Hepatitis Elimination Is Possible: World Hepatitis Day 2026

World Hepatitis Day is observed every year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and promote prevention, testing, diagnosis and treatment. It also calls for intensified action to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

This year's theme, "Hepatitis: Let’s break it down", is a call to remove the barriers that prevent people from accessing life-saving prevention, testing and treatment services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a leading role in coordinating the global response to viral hepatitis, supporting Member States in achieving hepatitis elimination targets and promoting equitable access to life-saving prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for all.

About viral hepatitis

Viral hepatitis remains one of the world's leading public health challenges. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause chronic infection in hundreds of millions of people worldwide, resulting in liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and more than one million premature deaths each year. Yet both infections are preventable, and effective treatment is available.

Completing the full childhood vaccination schedule against hepatitis B is one of the most effective ways to provide lifelong protection against infection and its serious complications.

Hepatitis B, C and D viruses are classified by WHO as carcinogenic agents because of their strong association with liver cancer. Hepatitis D virus (HDV) causes liver inflammation but can infect only people who are already infected with hepatitis B, as it requires HBV to replicate. HDV infection cannot occur in the absence of hepatitis B. Co-infection with HBV and HDV is considered the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis and can accelerate the progression of liver disease.

Together, hepatitis B and C account for more than 95% of deaths from viral hepatitis globally, while hepatitis A (HAV), hepatitis D (HDV) and hepatitis E (HEV) account for most of the remaining deaths.

Five priorities for action

On World Hepatitis Day, WHO calls for action in five priority areas to accelerate progress towards eliminating viral hepatitis:

1. Turn scientific advances into action. Effective vaccines, diagnostics and treatments are already available. The priority now is to ensure they are accessible to everyone who needs them.
2. Put people and communities at the center of hepatitis elimination. Meaningfully engaging people living with hepatitis and affected communities in decision-making and service delivery helps create more effective, people-centered services.
3. Ensure equitable access to hepatitis services for all. Everyone should have equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care, with particular attention to vulnerable and underserved populations.
4. Integrate hepatitis services into universal health coverage. Hepatitis prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and long-term care should be integrated into primary health care and universal health coverage to improve access and ensure continuity of care.
5. Accelerate research and innovation. Continued investment is needed to develop and expand access to new diagnostics, treatments and innovative technologies, particularly for hepatitis B and D.

These five priorities highlight the actions needed to accelerate progress towards eliminating viral hepatitis.

Achieving this goal requires strong collaboration among governments, communities, health workers, civil society and development partners, underpinned by sustainable financing and sustained political commitment.

WHO will continue to provide technical support to countries and help translate hepatitis elimination commitments into concrete action.

Together, we can remove barriers, expand access to life-saving services and eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Latest WHO guidance for health workers (15 February 2026): Health services and monitoring for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B and C.

Learn more about viral hepatitis.