WHO Says Hepatitis Elimination Progress Is Too Slow
Viral hepatitis B and C caused 1.34 million deaths in 2024, the World Health Organization reports.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in COVID-19
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The World Health Organization reports that progress toward eliminating viral hepatitis is too slow. Viral hepatitis B and C claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024 and cause 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.
Why it matters
Hepatitis B and C infections persist because many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable access to care. The gap between available vaccines and cures and their actual delivery leaves hundreds of millions of people exposed to chronic disease.
The WHO estimates 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, and fewer than five percent of the 240 million with chronic hepatitis B were receiving treatment. Only 20 percent of people with hepatitis C have been treated since 2015.
The players
World Health Organization
The United Nations agency for international public health that tracks global hepatitis burden and elimination targets.
The details
Viral hepatitis B and C cause 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide and more than 1.8 million new infections are recorded every year. Six countries rank in the top 10 for hepatitis B and C deaths: China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, South Africa and Vietnam, while Britain, Egypt, Georgia and Rwanda have shown hepatitis can be eliminated as a public health problem.
Timeline
2015 is the baseline year against which hepatitis treatment and infection declines are measured.
2024 saw 1.34 million hepatitis deaths and 287 million people living with chronic infection.
The WHO released its Global Hepatitis Report 2026 on November 1, 2026.
Health Landscape
The WHO's global hepatitis elimination goals set targets for reducing infections and deaths, and the 2026 report finds progress lagging behind them. Vaccine coverage gaps in Africa, where only 17 percent of babies received the birth dose in 2024, highlight the uneven reach of prevention efforts.
Hepatitis B vaccination protects more than 95 percent of recipients against acute and chronic infection, and short-course hepatitis C therapy lasting eight to 12 weeks can cure more than 95 percent of infections. People unsure of their status can ask a health provider about testing and treatment access.
The takeaway
Testing is the critical first step, because most people with viral hepatitis do not know they are infected. Getting tested and vaccinated can prevent decades of silent liver damage.
Further reading
Explore more COVID-19 coverage on Wisevoter for related global health context.
Source note: This article includes information reported by جريدة الأهرام.
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