World Hepatitis Day – 28th July 2025
World Hepatitis Day, observed on 28th July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and cancer.
There are 5 main strains of the hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D, and E. Together, hepatitis B and C are the most common infections and result in 1.3 million deaths worldwide, and 2.2 million new infections per year.
World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity to step up national and international efforts on hepatitis, encourage actions and engagement by individuals, partners and the public and highlight the need for a greater global response as outlined in the WHO’s Global hepatitis report of 2017.
The date of 28th July was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus.
Low coverage of testing and treatment is the most important gap to be addressed in order to achieve global elimination goals by 2030.
Please click here to find out more about hepatitis vaccinations.
