World Hepatitis Day highlights global burden and diagnosis gaps

World Hepatitis Day on July 28 draws attention to the massive, often hidden, impact of viral hepatitis. The World Health Organization’s elimination strategy aims to cut new infections by 90% and reduce related deaths by 65% by 2030. Around 287 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis, most with hepatitis B (≈240 million) or hepatitis C (≈50 million). The disease causes about 1.3 million deaths each year, making it the second leading infectious cause of mortality after tuberculosis.

Health professionals stress that only a small fraction of those infected are diagnosed – about 13% for hepatitis B and 36% for hepatitis C – limiting timely treatment and increasing transmission risk. Calls for wider vaccination, routine screening and equitable access to effective therapies are echoed by the Italian Association of Clinical Microbiologists and by experts in Latin America, underscoring the need to bring the “hidden” cases into view to meet WHO targets.