GENEVA – World Health Organization urges on drastic action cautioning against inaction as chronic hepatitis B and C continue to claim lives at a unprecedented rate globally. According to the latest data, 1.3 million people died of complications from the diseases in 2022 alone, despite being preventable, treatable, and when it comes to hepatitis C curable.
World Hepatitis Day, observed annually on July 28, is focused this year on dismantling the barriers that keep millions from receiving timely diagnosis and care. The 2025 theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” targets the financial, social, and systemic hurdles that continue to stall progress toward global elimination.
As of 2022, an estimated 304 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C. Yet only 45% of newborns received the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, a critical window to prevent lifelong infection. “Millions are dying not because we lack the tools, but because access is blocked by cost, misinformation, and weak health systems,” a World Health Organization official said in a statement.
Hepatitis B and C are often referred to as silent killers. In many cases, people live for years without symptoms while the virus steadily damages the liver. When symptoms finally appear, liver cancer or advanced disease is often already present.
Despite effective treatments and a vaccine for hepatitis B, diagnosis rates remain low. Testing gaps are most significant in low- and middle-income countries, where stigma and cost prevent people from seeking care.
Health experts warn that unless testing and treatment are made routine parts of national health programs, countries will fall short of the 2030 global target to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat. This year’s campaign calls for the simplification and integration of hepatitis services into regular healthcare. That includes expanding point-of-care testing, scaling up treatment centers, improving injection safety, and increasing availability of hepatitis B birth doses.
“We know what works. We know what saves lives. It’s time to break down the obstacles and act,” said infectious disease researcher during an international health summit earlier this week.
The current effort also urges governments to expand harm reduction programs for people who inject drugs, a key at-risk population. These measures include access to sterile needles and opioid substitution therapy both proven to reduce transmission rates.
Although the 2022 death toll underscores the urgency, global health agencies point to recent progress as reason for cautious hope. Several countries have already integrated hepatitis testing into primary care and maternal health visits. Others have negotiated lower drug prices for antiviral therapies.
But experts caution that unless funding increases and stigma declines, progress will stall. The World Health Organization continues to call for stronger international cooperation and national political will.
The campaign’s message is clear: ending hepatitis is possible but only with immediate, sustained action.
As World Hepatitis Day draws attention to this silent crisis, global leaders are being asked to turn promises into policies and policies into care that reaches every person at risk.
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