World Hepatitis Day, observed on 28 July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and cancer.

This year’s theme is: It’s time for action. With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, we must accelerate action on better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes.

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 and 2.2 million new infections per year.

Despite better tools for diagnosis and treatment, and decreasing product prices, testing and treatment coverage rates have stalled. But, reaching the WHO elimination goal by 2030 should still be achievable, if swift action is taken now.

Together, we can make hepatitis elimination a reality.