World Health Organisation has called for intensified global action to meet the 2030 hepatitis elimination targets.
The organisation made this known in its Global Hepatitis Report 2026, released at the World Hepatitis Summit, noting that while progress has been recorded, it remains insufficient to achieve elimination goals.
According to the report, hepatitis B and C viruses, which account for 95 per cent of hepatitis-related deaths, caused about 1.34 million deaths worldwide in 2024.
It further stated that around 1.8 million new infections were recorded in the same year, with HBV and HCV contributing equally to new cases.
The report also estimated that about 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis infections globally as of 2024.
While noting improvements since 2015 — including a decline in new infections and reduced deaths linked to better vaccination and treatment access — the organisation warned that progress is still too slow.
It revealed that reductions in new infections and hepatitis-related deaths fall far short of the levels needed to meet the 2030 targets, particularly the goal of significantly reducing mortality.
The report identified major gaps in testing, treatment, vaccination coverage, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission as key challenges hindering progress.
The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said eliminating hepatitis is achievable but requires sustained political commitment and increased funding.
The organisation urged countries to scale up access to diagnosis, expand treatment programmes, and strengthen prevention strategies to accelerate progress toward elimination.
