India expands free hepatitis testing and treatment to meet 2030 elimination goal
India is accelerating its National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public‑health threat by 2030. The programme now covers hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, offering free screening, diagnostic tests and medicines. It is integrated with other national health initiatives, including the Universal Immunisation Programme, which provides a hepatitis B birth dose and hepatitis B immunoglobulin within 24 hours of delivery.
Data from the 2021 HIV sentinel surveillance show that about 0.85 % of those tested were hepatitis B positive (roughly one in 118) and 0.29 % hepatitis C positive (about one in 345). To improve access, services are being decentralised from district hospitals to local health facilities, and a paper‑less NVHCP‑MIS portal tracks patient registration, treatment and monitoring. A toll‑free helpline (1800‑11‑6666) provides information on testing sites and services.
The government says expanded free diagnostics, affordable medicines and integrated disease‑management efforts are essential to achieve the 2030 elimination target.
Entities: Dr. Janus Ong · Hepatitis B · Hepatitis C · India · National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme · National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) · Philippines · Universal Immunisation Programme
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The programme uses a paperless NVHCP‑MIS portal for patient registration, treatment tracking and monitoring. (NVHCP implementation details)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Under the program, hepatitis B vaccination including a birth dose is provided under the Universal Immunisation Programme within 24 hours of birth. (NVHCP integration with Universal Immunisation Programme)
- [● 5 SOURCES] NVHCP services are being decentralised from district hospitals to local health facilities to increase accessibility. (Programme expansion plan)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme provides free screening, diagnostic tests and treatment for hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. (Indian government NVHCP rollout documents)
- [● 5 SOURCES] India aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. (India's Ministry of Health via NVHCP statements)
- [● 5 SOURCES] 2021 HIV sentinel surveillance data showed 0.85 % hepatitis B positivity (≈1 in 118) and 0.29 % hepatitis C positivity (≈1 in 345). (Government citing 2021 HIV surveillance)
- [● 5 SOURCES] A toll‑free helpline 1800‑11‑6666 provides information on hepatitis services and testing sites. (Government helpline announcement)