The report is organized around 4 major topics:

Key facts about progress towards hepatitis elimination

Progress towards elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 is off track: The world is not on track to eliminate viral hepatitis, despite the availability of highly effective hepatitis B vaccines, preventive interventions and a curative treatment for hepatitis C.

Global burden in 2024: There were an estimated 240 million people living with chronic HBV infection globally, equivalent to 2.9% of the global population in 2024. In the same year, an estimated 47 million people were living with HCV infection, equivalent to 0.6% of the global population.

New infections in 2024: An estimated 0.9 million people were newly infected with chronic HBV, a 32% decline since 2015. The WHO African Region accounted for 68% of these new HBV infections. An estimated 0.9 million people were newly infected with HCV, a decline of only 8%, far from the 2030 target of an 80% reduction

Hepatitis remains a major cause of preventable death: In 2024, an estimated 1.3 million people died from viral hepatitis B and C–related cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic HBV infection caused about 1.1 million deaths, an increase of 17% since 2015. Hepatitis C infection caused about 240 000 deaths, a 12% reduction since 2015.

The burden of mortality is highly unequal: Three quarters of HBV-related deaths occurred in the WHO African and Western Pacific regions. Just 10 countries accounted for 69% of all HBV-related deaths globally. HCV-related deaths were more geographically dispersed, with 10 countries accounting for 58% of the global total.

Treatment coverage remains critically low: Less than 5% of the 240 million people living with chronic HBV infection were receiving treatment in 2024, despite around 50% being eligible under WHO 2024 HBV treatment guidelines. Since 2015, only 20% of people eligible for HCV treatment had received it. In 2024, 11 million people who had been diagnosed with HCV infection were not yet on treatment.

Too many children are still getting infected with chronic HBV: In 2024, global chronic HBV prevalence among children under 5 years was 0.6%, down from 0.8% in 2015 but well above the 2030 target of 0.1%. The highest burden among children is in the WHO African Region, where prevalence exceeds 1% in most countries and in the range of 2–5% in several countries. Eighty‑five countries have now achieved the target of 0.1% prevalence of HBV infection in children aged under 5 years.

Gaps in hepatitis B birth‑dose vaccination persist: In 2024, birth‑dose coverage in the WHO African Region was only 17%. In 2025, 20 of 47 countries in the African Region had not introduced hepatitis B birth‑dose vaccination. Achieving a 95% reduction in chronic HBV incidence by 2030 requires major improvements in timely birth‑dose vaccination and antiviral prophylaxis to prevent mother‑to‑child transmission.

Hepatitis C transmission continues among vulnerable populations: People who inject drugs account for around 44% of new HCV infections globally. Harm‑reduction coverage is very low: An average of 35 needles and syringes per person were distributed annually — far below the 2030 target of 300. Unsafe medical injections also continue to drive HCV transmission in some countries.

Acceleration is possible — and already happening: Many countries are scaling up action and demonstrating that elimination is achievable. The report highlights progress and good practices from countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, China, Egypt, Ghana, Georgia, Italy, Madagascar, Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Rwanda, Thailand, Togo and the United Kingdom (England).