World Hepatitis Day 2025: A Global Wake-Up Call To End A Silent Epidemic

Every year on July 28, World Hepatitis Day is observed to raise global awareness of viral hepatitis—an often invisible but deadly disease that affects over 350 million people worldwide. The day commemorates the birth of Nobel Laureate Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first hepatitis B vaccine.

Despite being preventable, treatable, and even curable in many cases, hepatitis remains one of the leading causes of death globally, claiming 1.3 million lives annually—a death toll comparable to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Yet, it receives only a fraction of the attention, resources, and urgency.

This year’s theme, “Hepatitis Can’t Wait,” serves as a resounding call to action. It underscores the need for immediate investment in screening, vaccination, treatment, and public awareness to tackle a disease that kills one person every 30 seconds.

Understanding Hepatitis: A Complex but Preventable Threat

• The term “hepatitis” refers to inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection. There are five main types of hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E, each with different modes of transmission, risk factors, and outcomes.
• Hepatitis A and E are typically contracted through contaminated food and water. These are acute infections and rarely lead to long-term illness.
• Hepatitis B, C, and D, on the other hand, are transmitted via blood, sexual contact, or from mother to child during childbirth. These can become chronic infections, leading to liver cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.

Among them, hepatitis B and C are the most dangerous, responsible for most liver-related deaths.

Common symptoms of Hepatitis (Image:Freepik)

Silent but Deadly

What makes hepatitis particularly dangerous is its silent nature. Most people who are infected are unaware, especially in the early stages of the disease. By the time symptoms emerge—fatigue, jaundice, abdominal pain—liver damage may already be advanced. Nine out of 10 people living with hepatitis B, and 8 out of 10 with hepatitis C, are unaware of their condition.

A Global Picture of Inequality

While hepatitis affects people across every continent, it disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Here, the lack of access to diagnostic tools, vaccines, antiviral therapies, and education creates a perfect storm for silent infections to turn deadly.

For example:

• In Africa, only 2% of people living with chronic hepatitis B are on treatment.
• In India, an estimated 40 million people have hepatitis B, yet less than 5% are diagnosed.
• In Eastern Europe and Central Asia, injecting drug use remains a significant driver of hepatitis C transmission, often exacerbated by stigma and criminalization.

Hepatitis does not just threaten health—it deepens existing social, economic, and healthcare inequities.

A Preventable and Curable Disease

The tragedy of hepatitis lies not just in its impact, but in the fact that we already have the tools to eliminate it:

1. Vaccination

The hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective, and widely available. It is recommended as part of routine childhood immunization in most countries. The birth-dose vaccine is especially critical—it can prevent mother-to-child transmission, a major route of infection in many high-prevalence countries.
Yet only 43% of newborns globally receive the birth dose within the first 24 hours of life—a glaring missed opportunity.

2. Treatment

For hepatitis C, direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized care. A cure is possible in over 95% of cases with a short 8- to 12-week course of treatment. Yet access remains limited due to high costs, lack of awareness, and weak healthcare infrastructure.

Chronic hepatitis B can’t be cured (yet), but lifelong antiviral treatment can prevent liver damage and transmission.

3. Screening and Early Diagnosis

Simple blood tests can detect hepatitis infections, but few people know to ask for them. Integrating screening into routine health services—especially for pregnant women, high-risk groups, and blood donors—can save lives and reduce transmission. 

Stories of Progress

While the global fight against hepatitis faces many challenges, some countries have made remarkable progress, proving that elimination is achievable with the right political will and strategy.

Egypt: A Global Success Story

In what is hailed as one of the most successful public health campaigns in history, Egypt screened over 60 million people and treated over 4 million for hepatitis C between 2015 and 2020. The government’s bold approach—free testing and treatment, mass mobilization, and public-private partnerships—has brought Egypt close to eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat.

Mongolia and Rwanda

Both countries have implemented national action plans with a focus on testing, birth-dose vaccinations, and public education. Mongolia’s use of telemedicine to reach rural populations and Rwanda’s integration of hepatitis services into HIV care have become models for others.

'Hepatitis Can’t Wait': A Theme with Urgency

This year’s theme is a direct appeal to global leaders, healthcare workers, and the public. Here’s why we can’t afford to wait:

• Every delay in vaccination means more infants at risk of lifelong infection.
• Every missed screening is a missed opportunity to save a life.
• Every barrier to treatment condemns millions to liver cancer or premature death.

If we act now, the WHO estimates that 4.5 million premature deaths could be prevented by 2030. But the window to meet global elimination targets is closing fast.

The Role of Technology and Innovation

Modern technologies are playing a growing role in transforming hepatitis response strategies:

Mobile health platforms are enabling remote consultations, test result delivery, and adherence monitoring.
Decentralized data systems, including blockchain-based health records, are helping ensure continuity of care and secure patient data, especially in underserved areas.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to model outbreaks, identify at-risk populations, and optimize resource allocation.

Just as the decentralized finance movement—exemplified by platforms like Velar, which uses Bitcoin’s secure architecture to provide open financial access—seeks to break down gatekeepers and empower individuals, a similar decentralized and inclusive health infrastructure can revolutionize care delivery in hepatitis and other global health challenges.

This year’s theme, “Hepatitis Can’t Wait,” serves as a resounding call to action. (Image by Freepik)

A Call to Action: What Governments and People Must Do

To eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030—a goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO)—countries must:

For Governments and Policymakers:

• Expand universal access to hepatitis B birth-dose vaccines within the first 24 hours of life.
• Integrate hepatitis services into existing healthcare systems, such as maternal health, HIV/AIDS care, and primary clinics.
• Subsidize and negotiate lower costs for hepatitis C treatments.
• Launch public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage testing.

For Civil Society and NGOs:

• Empower communities with information and tools to demand care.
• Partner with tech platforms and local clinics to reach marginalized groups, including people who inject drugs, prisoners, and migrants.
• Advocate for patient-centered policy changes at the national and international level.

For Individuals:

• Get tested—especially if you were born before 1992 (before hepatitis B vaccination became widespread).
• Ensure your children are vaccinated at birth and follow up with booster doses.
• Talk to your doctor, learn your status, and encourage friends and family to do the same.
• Avoid risky behaviors like sharing needles or unprotected sex, especially in high-prevalence areas.

The Road Ahead

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted hepatitis programs worldwide, halting vaccinations, screenings, and treatment services. But it also demonstrated what the world can accomplish when it prioritizes health: rapid testing, vaccine development, and global coordination on an unprecedented scale.

We need that same energy and commitment to tackle hepatitis. Not someday—now.

Conclusion: A Promise We Must Keep

World Hepatitis Day is not just another health observance. It is a reminder of our collective failure to address one of the world’s deadliest, yet most preventable diseases—and a call to course-correct.

We have the science. We have the tools. What we need is action.

Let this day mark the moment the world took a stand against silence, stigma, and suffering—and chose to finish what science started. Because honestly, hepatitis can’t wait.

Quick Facts About Hepatitis

• 350 million people live with chronic hepatitis B or C.
• 1.3 million people die from hepatitis-related illnesses annually.
• 95% of hepatitis C cases can be cured with current treatments.
• Only 43% of newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose.
• WHO aims to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

(Note: Dr (Prof) Sadhana Kala is a USA-trained robotic & laparoscopic surgeon, Uppsala University, Sweden, trained fertility specialist, Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of North India, and National Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of India. She is rated as India's Best Gynecologist by Google.)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.)