World Hepatitis Day 2026 urges protecting women from hepatitis B and C
World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July. The 2026 theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” calls on governments, health professionals and communities to remove financial, social and systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing prevention, testing, treatment and care, with a particular focus on women’s health.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, and roughly 1.3 million died from these infections that year. Hepatitis B and C can be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth; a hepatitis B vaccine given within the first 24 hours of life can almost completely prevent that transmission, while hepatitis C has no vaccine.
Effective vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B, and early screening and treatment can reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis and cancer. Health experts in Turkey, India and other regions stress the importance of regular testing, timely treatment and vaccination to safeguard pregnant women and their babies.
Entities: Apollo Spectra Hospital · Dr Sumati Tadas · Dr. Baltacı · Dr. Sumati Tadas · Dr. Özcan Sönmez · Hepatitis B virus · World Health Organization · World Hepatitis Day
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] About 1.3 million people died from chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024. (World Health Organization)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Early screening and treatment can reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis and cancer in hepatitis patients. (World Health Organization)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Effective vaccines exist for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. (World Health Organization)
- [● 2 SOURCES] World Hepatitis Day is observed annually on 28 July. (World Hepatitis Day)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The 2026 theme for World Hepatitis Day is “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.” (World Hepatitis Day)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024. (World Health Organization)
- [● 2 SOURCES] There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. (World Health Organization)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A hepatitis B vaccine given within the first 24 hours of birth can almost completely prevent mother‑to‑child transmission. (World Health Organization)