It highlights significant progress in the fight against hepatitis B and C, which together account for 95 percent of all hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.
These infections claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024. Meanwhile, transmission continues at a rate of about 1.8 million infections annually — or more than 4,900 cases each day.
Viral infections
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. It can be spread through contact with infected body fluids such as blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen, or passed from mother to baby.
The disease can be acute or chronic, with chronic infection increasing the risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus of the same name. Transmission is spread through exposure to infected blood from unsafe injections, such as sharing needles and syringes or unscreened blood transfusions.
A decade of gains
The 2026 Global Hepatitis Report documents progress since 2015. For example, new hepatitis B infections have decreased by 32 percent, while hepatitis C-related deaths have decreased by 12 percent.
The prevalence of hepatitis B among children under five has also fallen to 0.6 percent, with 85 countries meeting or exceeding the 2030 target of reducing prevalence to 0.1 percent.
While this progress reflects sustained and coordinated international efforts towards the viral hepatitis elimination target adopted at the World Health Assembly in 2016, current rates are insufficient to meet all 2030 elimination targets.
Scaling up is urgent
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said countries have shown that “eliminating hepatitis is not a dream,” but efforts must accelerate.
“Many people remain undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma, weak health systems and unequal access to care,” he said.
“While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, an urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed if the world is to meet the 2030 targets.”
Prevention of hepatitis B infection through immunization in infancy significantly reduces chronic infections and cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis in adulthood.
Millions affected
The report estimates that 287 million people – about 3 percent of the global population – were living with chronic hepatitis B or C infection in 2024.
Although WHO’s African region accounted for 68 percent of new hepatitis B infections, only 17 percent of newborns there received a birth dose vaccination.
For hepatitis C, people who inject drugs accounted for 44 percent of new infections, highlighting the need for stronger harm reduction services and safe injection practices.
Limited access to treatment
Access to treatment also remains limited. Although 240 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B by 2024, fewer than five percent received treatment.
Also, only 20 percent of people with hepatitis C have been treated since new effective treatment became available in 2015.
Limited access to prevention and care continues to drive mortality. By 2024, about 1.1 million people will die from hepatitis B and 240,000 from hepatitis C, mainly due to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Ten countries in Asia and Africa—Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, and Vietnam—accounted for nearly 70 percent of hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide that year.
Hepatitis C-related deaths are more geographically dispersed. In 2024, 10 countries accounted for 58 percent of global cases: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam.
A hepatitis C test is prepared for a client at the Ozone Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand. (file)
There are documented solutions
Despite these challenges, the WHO pointed to the highly effective tools already available in the fight against the disease.
The hepatitis B vaccineis more than 95 percent effective against both acute and chronic infections, while long-term antiviral therapy can help manage chronic infection and prevent serious liver disease.
At the same time, short course treatment of hepatitis C lasting 8 to 12 weeks, can cure more than 95 percent of cases.
‘Progress is possible’
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Division of HIV, TB, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections, emphasized the need to improve access to care.
“The data shows that progress is possible, but also reveals where we fall short . Every untreated diagnosis and untreated infection due to chronic viral hepatitis represents a preventable death,” she said.
“Countries must move faster to integrate hepatitis services for people living with hepatitis B and C into primary care and to reach the most affected communities.”
Priority actions
The report identifies priority actions to accelerate progress, including scaling up treatment for chronic hepatitis B infection, particularly in the WHO Africa and Western Pacific regions, and expanding access to hepatitis C treatment in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
It also calls for stronger political commitment and increased funding to expand accessfor hepatitis B birth dose vaccination and medication to prevent mother-to-child transmission.
The report also emphasizes the need to improve injection safety both inside and outside the healthcare system, including through strengthened harm reduction services for injection drug users.
