World Hepatitis Day 2026: India Pushes for 2030 Elimination as WHO Warns Global Targets at Risk

On World Hepatitis Day 2026, themed "Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down," health agencies warn that global 2030 elimination targets are at risk. Viral hepatitis remains highly lethal, claiming 1.3 million lives in 2024. While India aggressively pushes for elimination by 2030 through its National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme—having screened over 21 crore people and established 1,153 treatment centers—the WHO and ECDC warn that persistent funding, social, and systemic barriers keep global and European progress off track.

World Hepatitis Day 2026

• ▪World Hepatitis Day was officially shifted to July 28 by the World Health Assembly in 2010 to honor Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus.
• ▪World Hepatitis Day 2026 is observed on Tuesday, July 28, under the official theme "Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down."

Global hepatitis mortality burden

• ▪Hepatitis B deaths have increased by 17% globally since 2015.
• ▪Nearly 287 million people globally were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024.
• ▪Viral hepatitis claimed an estimated 1.3 million lives globally in 2024, with mortality continuing to rise.

India National Hepatitis Programme

• ▪India has established 1,153 treatment centers, including more than 70 specialized treatment sites, under its national program.
• ▪India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme has screened over 21 crore beneficiaries and treated over 6 lakh patients as of July 2026.
• ▪India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme, launched in 2018 under the National Health Mission, aims to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030.
• ▪An estimated 29 million to 40 million people in India live with chronic hepatitis B, and 5.5 million to 12 million live with hepatitis C.

WHO 2030 elimination targets

• ▪The World Health Organization warns that global targets to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 remain off track.
• ▪The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warns that Europe is off track to meet the 2030 hepatitis elimination targets.

Regional hepatitis treatment progress

• ▪The Eastern Mediterranean Region carries a significant share of the global hepatitis C burden despite progress in diagnosis and treatment.
• ▪An estimated five million people in Europe live with chronic hepatitis B or C, causing around 60,000 deaths annually.

Hepatitis prevention access barriers

• ▪Only seven European countries meet the World Health Organization target for distributing sterile injection equipment to people who inject drugs.
• ▪The World Health Organization report highlights the urgent need to remove financial, social, and systemic barriers that limit access to hepatitis care.