A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted India's critical role in the global burden of hepatitis, identifying the nation among the top contributors to deaths caused by both hepatitis B and C. The Global Hepatitis Report 2026 indicates that despite available prevention and treatment tools, viral hepatitis continues to be a major public health challenge worldwide.
India's Significant Burden in Global Hepatitis Mortality
According to the WHO's findings, India is one of ten countries collectively responsible for 69% of global hepatitis B-related deaths and 58% of hepatitis C-related deaths. This places India alongside other high-burden nations such as China, Nigeria, Indonesia, and South Africa in both death clusters. In 2024 alone, hepatitis B and C together led to an estimated 1.34 million deaths globally.
Hepatitis B and C are viral liver infections primarily transmitted through infected blood and bodily fluids. If left untreated, these infections can progress into chronic illnesses, leading to severe liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
Persistent Gaps in Diagnosis and Treatment
The report underscores significant deficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic hepatitis infections. An estimated 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, with approximately 1.8 million new infections occurring annually. This indicates a large pool of individuals requiring long-term care and monitoring, even as global elimination targets for the disease approach.
- Hepatitis B: Fewer than 5% of the 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B are receiving treatment, despite the availability of effective antiviral therapies.
- Hepatitis C: Only 20% of individuals with hepatitis C have been treated since 2015, despite the existence of curative treatments.
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs, emphasized, "Every missed diagnosis and untreated infection due to chronic viral hepatitis represents a preventable death."
Progress Made, But Uneven and Too Slow
While some progress has been achieved since 2015, with new hepatitis B infections declining by 32% and hepatitis C-related deaths falling by 12% globally, the report notes that this progress remains uneven across different regions and countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, "Around the world, countries are showing that eliminating hepatitis is not a pipedream… At the same time, progress is too slow and uneven."
The report also points to ongoing prevention gaps that fuel transmission, particularly highlighting the need for improved injection safety and expanded harm reduction services. People who inject drugs account for 44% of new hepatitis C infections worldwide. While hepatitis B vaccination programs have shown measurable impact, reducing prevalence among children under five to 0.6% globally, this figure is still above the 2030 target of 0.1%.
Path Towards 2030 Elimination Goals
The WHO maintains that eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 is achievable, but only through a rapid scale-up of existing interventions. This includes enhancing testing, diagnosis, and treatment access. "While we have the tools to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat, urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis and treatment is needed," Tedros concluded, urging global cooperation to meet this vital health objective.