WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Global efforts to combat viral hepatitis are delivering measurable progress in reducing infections and deaths, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, according to a new report by the World Health Organization.
WHO released the report at the World Hepatitis Summit on Tuesday.
Viral hepatitis B and C - the two infections responsible for 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide - claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024, the latest data show. At the same time, transmission continues, with more than 4900 new infections every day, or 1.8 million each year.
The 2026 Global hepatitis report documents significant gains made since 2015. The annual number of new hepatitis B infections has dropped by 32 percent and hepatitis C-related deaths have fallen by 12 percent globally. Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has also decreased to 0.6 percent, with 85 countries achieving or surpassing the 2030 target of 0.1 percent.
These achievements reflect the impact of sustained, coordinated global and national action following the adoption of WHO viral hepatitis elimination targets by Member States at the World Health Assembly in 2016. However, the report warns that current rates of progress are insufficient to meet all 2030 elimination targets, underscoring the urgent need to accelerate prevention, testing, and treatment efforts worldwide.
'Around the world, countries are showing that eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream, it's possible with sustained political commitment, backed by reliable domestic financing,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'At the same time, this report shows that progress is too slow and uneven. Many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and inequitable 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 if the world is to meet the 2030 targets.'
Updated WHO estimates indicate that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024.
That year, 0.9 million people were newly infected with hepatitis B. The WHO African Region accounted for 68 percent of new hepatitis B infections, yet only 17 percent of newborns in the region received the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination.
A further 0.9 million hepatitis C infections were recorded in 2024. People who inject drugs accounted for 44 percent of new infections, highlighting the urgent need for stronger harm reduction services and safe injection practices.
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