European CDC warns Europe may miss 2030 hepatitis elimination target FAST-MOVING

World Hepatitis Day WHO 2030 elimination European CDC alert Italy hepatitis screening Spain hepatitis C cure

On World Hepatitis Day (28 July), the World Health Organization reiterated its goal to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public‑health threat by 2030. Italy’s national hepatitis‑screening programme has now involved over 3.1 million people, identified more than 20 000 previously undiagnosed HCV infections and, as of April 2026, treated more than 280 000 patients with direct‑acting antivirals. Spain reports that more than 170 000 hepatitis C patients have been cured, reducing prevalence to 0.14 %, while Greece and Serbia detail national actions and case numbers for hepatitis B and C. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warns that about five million Europeans still live with chronic hepatitis B or C and roughly 60 000 die each year, and that vaccination coverage for hepatitis B falls short of the WHO 95 % target, putting the region off track for the 2030 elimination goal. Global estimates indicate around 287 million people live with chronic viral hepatitis, causing about 1.3 million deaths in 2024, 85 % of which are linked to hepatitis B. Recent spikes in hepatitis A have been reported in Italy – 631 cases in 2025 and 120 in Lazio in early 2026 – linked to raw seafood consumption.

Entities: Asociación Española para el Estudio del Hígado (AEEH) · Bruno Ciancio · European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control · Greece · Hospital Universitario Torrecárdenas de Almería · Italy · Marta Casado · Nicola Coppola · Spain · World Health Organization · bulevirtide

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 4 SOURCES] Approximately five million Europeans live with chronic hepatitis B or C, and about 60 000 die each year from related liver disease. (multiple)
[● 2 SOURCES] Spain estimates that about 54 000 people remain pending hepatitis C treatment, with roughly 30 % unaware of their infection. (multiple)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Italy’s national hepatitis screening programme has identified over 20 000 previously undiagnosed HCV infections. (multiple)
[● 6 SOURCES] WHO aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public‑health threat by 2030. (World Health Organization)
[● 2 SOURCES] Spain has treated more than 170 000 hepatitis C patients, lowering prevalence to 0.14 %. (Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver)
[● 4 SOURCES] Globally, about 287 million people live with chronic viral hepatitis, causing roughly 1.3 million deaths in 2024, about 85 % linked to hepatitis B. (World Health Organization)
[○ 1 SOURCE] More than 280 000 patients in Italy have been treated with direct‑acting antivirals for hepatitis C as of April 2026. (Italian Ministry of Health / AIFA)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Italy recorded 631 hepatitis A cases in 2025 and 120 cases in Lazio in early 2026, linked to raw or insufficiently cooked seafood. (Italian Institute of Health (ISS))
[○ 1 SOURCE] Italy’s national hepatitis screening programme has involved over 3.1 million people. (Italian Ministry of Health / ISS)
[● 4 SOURCES] The European CDC warns the region is off track to meet the 2030 hepatitis elimination targets because vaccination coverage for hepatitis B falls short of the WHO 95 % goal. (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)
[● 5 SOURCES] Around five million people in Europe live with chronic hepatitis B or C and roughly 60 000 die each year from liver disease. (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control)