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Journalism of Courage
World Hepatitis Day 2025: Viral hepatitis — an infection that causes liver inflammation, damage and may lead to liver cancer — is a critical public health challenge of this decade globally.
It is one of the leading causes of death globally—with an estimated 1.3 million people dying in 2022 from the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report.
Notably, the top ten countries in the world account for nearly two-thirds of the global burden of viral hepatitis B and C combined, according to the report.
For hepatitis B, the top three countries—China, India, and Indonesia—represent 50% of the global burden in 2022; and for hepatitis C, six countries—China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America—represent 50% of the global burden, the report highlighted.
Since 2015, there have been certain significant advancements forward in testing and treatment for viral hepatitis, with it being more widely available.
While countries worldwide have national strategies and updated clinical guidelines to facilitate people getting prevention, testing, and treatment services; however, overall global coverage lacks and remains unchanged; its implementation continues to proceed incredibly slowly, making progress critical to the global response.
As a result, the world observes World Hepatitis Day on 28th July every year to promote global awareness of hepatitis prevention, early detection, and effective treatment options.
| Rank | Country | Total hepatitis B infections (all ages) | Total hepatitis C infections (all ages) | Total hepatitis B + hepatitis C infections (all ages) | Proportion of total hepatitis B + hepatitis C infections (%) |
| 1 | China | 79,700,000 | 4,000,000 | 83,700,000 | 27.5 |
| 2 | India | 29,800,000 | 5,500,000 | 35,300,000 | 11.6 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 17,500,000 | 1,400,000 | 18,900,000 | 6.2 |
| 4 | Nigeria | 14,400,000 | 1,350,000 | 15,700,000 | 5.2 |
| 5 | Pakistan | 3,800,000 | 8,800,000 | 12,600,000 | 4.2 |
| 6 | Ethiopia | 7,700,000 | 692,000 | 8,400,000 | 2.7 |
| 7 | Bangladesh | 7,200,000 | 1,020,000 | 8,300,000 | 2.7 |
| 8 | Viet Nam | 6,500,000 | 900,000 | 7,400,000 | 2.4 |
| 9 | Philippines | 5,700,000 | 400,000 | 6,100,000 | 2 |
| 10 | Russian Federation | 1,700,000 | 2,700,000 | 4,300,000 | 1.4 |
Source: Global Hepatitis Report 2024, World Health Organisation
India is one of the countries with the highest burden of viral hepatitis with the data revealing a significant burden of hepatitis infections with the country accounts for 29,800,000 total hepatitis B infections and 5,500,000 total hepatitis C infections across all ages.
When combined, these results highlight 35,300,000 total hepatitis B and hepatitis C infections, representing 11.6% of the total combined hepatitis B and C infections across the countries, making India the second-highest contributor after China.
