World Hepatitis Day “Hepatitis: Let’s Break it Down”

Every year on 28 July, the world commemorates World Hepatitis Day to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, a disease that continues to pose a major global public health threat. Although hepatitis is preventable and, in many cases, treatable, it still causes approximately 1.3 million deaths each year, with most fatalities resulting from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

The World Hepatitis Day 2026 theme, “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down,” is a call to eliminate the barriers that prevent people from accessing life-saving healthcare services. These barriers include limited public awareness, stigma, failure to undergo early screening, and unequal access to vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment. By understanding the facts about hepatitis, we can not only protect ourselves but also contribute to the World Health Organization (WHO) goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Understanding Hepatitis and Its Challenges

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that performs numerous essential functions, including filtering toxins, producing proteins, storing nutrients, and aiding digestion. Persistent inflammation can damage liver tissue, eventually leading to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

The leading cause of hepatitis worldwide is infection with hepatitis viruses, which are classified into five main types: hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Among these, hepatitis B is one of the most concerning because it can cause chronic infection and long-term liver damage.

According to the WHO Global Hepatitis Report 2026, an estimated 287 million people worldwide were living with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C in 2024. Unfortunately, many individuals remain unaware of their infection because hepatitis B often causes no symptoms during its early stages. As a result, the disease is frequently diagnosed only after serious complications such as liver cirrhosis or liver cancer have developed.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, including from mother to child during childbirth, through unprotected sexual contact, sharing contaminated needles, and exposure to infected blood. However, hepatitis B cannot be spread through handshakes, hugging, sharing food or drinks, coughing, sneezing, or mosquito bites. Understanding these facts is essential to dispelling misconceptions and reducing the stigma experienced by people living with hepatitis B.

Breaking Down Barriers to Prevention and Treatment

The good news is that hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. In Malaysia, the hepatitis B vaccine has been included in the National Immunisation Programme since 1989, significantly reducing infection rates among younger generations.

Nevertheless, challenges remain worldwide. WHO reported that in 2024, only 45% of newborns globally received the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, despite this birth dose being crucial for preventing mother-to-child transmission. Beyond vaccination, the risk of infection can be reduced by practising safe sex, avoiding the sharing of needles or personal items that may be contaminated with blood, and ensuring that all medical, dental, tattooing, and body piercing procedures are performed using sterile equipment.

Because hepatitis B infection is often asymptomatic, a blood test is the only reliable way to determine an individual's infection status. Early detection enables patients to receive appropriate monitoring and treatment before significant liver damage occurs. Although chronic hepatitis B currently has no cure that completely eliminates the virus, modern antiviral medications can effectively suppress viral replication, reduce liver inflammation, and lower the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. At the same time, researchers around the world are actively developing new therapies aimed at achieving a functional cure, which has the potential to transform the future of hepatitis B treatment.

Working Together Towards a Hepatitis-Free World

The World Hepatitis Day 2026 campaign also highlights that the tools needed to eliminate hepatitis are already available. Effective vaccines, accurate diagnostic tests, and treatments capable of controlling hepatitis B and curing hepatitis C already exist. However, millions of people remain undiagnosed, untreated, or unable to access healthcare services because of stigma, inadequate awareness, gaps in healthcare systems, and inequalities in access to care.

Therefore, the theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down” is not only an invitation to better understand hepatitis but also a call for governments, healthcare professionals, researchers, community organisations, and the public to work together in removing barriers to prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

As we commemorate World Hepatitis Day 2026, let us all take small actions that can make a meaningful difference; getting vaccinated, undergoing hepatitis screening when appropriate, sharing accurate information, and supporting individuals living with hepatitis. By raising awareness and expanding access to healthcare services, we can achieve the global goal of eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Associate Professor Dr Ho Kok Lian
Molecular and Structural Virology
Associate Professor
Chemical Pathology Unit
Department of Pathology
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Universiti Putra Malaysia
012-3368773
klho@upm.edu.my

Date of Input: 22/07/2026 | Updated: 22/07/2026 | nadia_rahman