WHY DID 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE DIE FROM HEPATITIS IN 2024 DESPITE VACCINES? WHO REVEALS THE HIDDEN BARRIERS KEEPING MILLIONS FROM LIFESAVING CARE
If hepatitis can be prevented through vaccination, controlled with treatment and, in the case of hepatitis C, even cured, why did 1.3 million people still die from chronic hepatitis B and C in 2024?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the answer lies not in the absence of medical breakthroughs but in the barriers that prevent people from accessing them.
Marking World Hepatitis Day 2026 on July 28, WHO warned that 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, yet millions remain undiagnosed because of stigma, poor awareness, limited access to testing and persistent inequalities in healthcare.
Many do not know they are infected until the disease has progressed to cirrhosis or liver cancer, when treatment is less effective.
The campaign, themed “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” calls for dismantling the obstacles that continue to fuel preventable illness and death.
WHO said the science needed to eliminate viral hepatitis already exists: highly effective vaccines against hepatitis B, reliable diagnostic tests, lifelong antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and curative medicines for hepatitis C. The challenge now is ensuring these tools reach everyone who needs them.
WHO also highlighted a critical gap in protecting newborns. In 2024, only 45% of babies worldwide received the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, even though the birth dose is one of the most effective ways to prevent lifelong infection and reduce future deaths.
The UN health agency urged people who have never been tested or who may be at risk to get screened for hepatitis B and C, ensure newborns receive the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine on time, and help combat stigma by sharing accurate information.
It also called on governments to increase investment, strengthen primary healthcare, expand access to affordable testing and treatment, and integrate hepatitis services into universal health coverage.
“The tools to eliminate hepatitis already exist,” WHO said, adding that turning proven science into action could prevent millions of infections and save countless lives.
