Understand Hepatitis, Prevent Liver Disease, Get Tested Early
A clinical guide to viral hepatitis for World Hepatitis Day 2026 — what it is, who is at risk, how it is diagnosed, and why early testing changes outcomes.
Hepatitis: Let's break it down.
The History and Significance of World Hepatitis Day
World Hepatitis Day is one of the major global health awareness observances supported by WHO. It is observed annually on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis — liver inflammation caused by hepatitis viruses — and to strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment efforts.1
The World Health Assembly formally designated 28 July as World Hepatitis Day in 2010, helping establish a coordinated international platform for action against viral hepatitis.
This is important because hepatitis is frequently underestimated. Chronic hepatitis B and C can remain unnoticed for years while liver injury gradually develops.
These numbers reinforce why hepatitis screening, vaccination, early diagnosis and access to effective treatment remain global public-health priorities.
Why July 28th?
World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28 July because it is the birthday of Dr Baruch S. Blumberg (1925–2011).
Dr Blumberg's research led to the discovery of the hepatitis B virus and contributed to the development of a diagnostic test and the first hepatitis B vaccine. He shared the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries concerning new mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious diseases.5
His work transformed hepatitis B from a poorly understood infection into a disease that could be identified and, importantly, prevented through vaccination.
How World Hepatitis Day Raises Global Awareness
World Hepatitis Day brings together patients, healthcare professionals, governments and communities to promote:
- Hepatitis education and prevention
- Hepatitis A and B vaccination where appropriate
- Safer healthcare and injection practices
- Hepatitis B and C testing
- Earlier diagnosis and linkage to treatment
- Prevention of mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission
- Reduction of stigma and discrimination
- Stronger national hepatitis programmes
Chronic hepatitis B and C may be "silent" infections. A person may feel completely healthy while persistent viral infection gradually damages the liver — absence of symptoms does not mean absence of hepatitis.
Role of WHO and the 2030 Elimination Goal
WHO's Global Health Sector Strategies aim to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public-health threat by 2030.6 Compared with 2015 levels, the strategy targets approximately 90% fewer new infections and 65% fewer hepatitis-related deaths — translating to roughly 520,000 new infections and 450,000 deaths annually by 2030.6
Interventions working together
Vaccination
Universal hepatitis B vaccination, particularly the birth dose, can prevent new HBV infections.
Mother-to-child prevention
Pregnant women should have appropriate hepatitis B testing to plan preventive measures for newborns.
Safe healthcare
Sterile injections, sterilised equipment and screened blood products reduce blood-borne transmission.
Harm reduction
Sterile injecting equipment and services for people who inject drugs help prevent HBV and HCV.
Testing
Identifying people who have hepatitis but don't yet know their status is essential.
Treatment
Antivirals can suppress chronic hepatitis B; direct-acting antivirals can cure most hepatitis C.
India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) was launched on World Hepatitis Day in 2018 and aims to combat viral hepatitis, including elimination of hepatitis C as a public-health problem.7
What Is Hepatitis and How Does It Affect the Liver?
Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver. The liver performs hundreds of functions essential for life, including processing nutrients, metabolising medicines, producing bile, storing energy, producing blood proteins, contributing to blood clotting, and removing waste products.
When hepatitis develops, liver cells become inflamed and may be injured. If inflammation persists, repeated liver injury and healing may cause fibrosis — scar tissue formation.
Progression depends on the cause, duration of infection, treatment, age, alcohol use, metabolic factors, other infections and individual health characteristics. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can substantially alter the course of chronic liver disease.
Understanding Hepatitis — Types, Causes and Symptoms
Hepatitis is not one single disease.
Acute hepatitis
Acute hepatitis develops over a relatively short period. Hepatitis A and E most commonly cause acute infections, although acute hepatitis B and C can also occur.
Chronic hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis is persistent liver inflammation or infection lasting months or years. Hepatitis B, C and D can cause chronic liver disease.
Viral hepatitis
The five principal hepatitis viruses are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E virus. Although all can affect the liver, they differ significantly in how they spread, whether they become chronic, how they are treated and whether vaccination is available.
Non-viral hepatitis
Liver inflammation can also result from alcohol-related liver injury, autoimmune hepatitis, drug-induced liver injury, certain toxins, and metabolic and other liver disorders. Abnormal liver tests do not automatically mean someone has viral hepatitis.
What Are the Different Types of Hepatitis (A–E)?
| Type | Main route | Course | Vaccine | Key complications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatitis A | Contaminated food/water, faecal–oral | Acute | Yes | Rare acute liver failure |
| Hepatitis B | Blood, sexual contact, mother-to-child | Acute & chronic | Yes | Cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer |
| Hepatitis C | Primarily blood-to-blood | Acute & chronic | No | Cirrhosis, liver failure, liver cancer |
| Hepatitis D | Blood/body fluids; requires HBV | Acute & chronic | Indirect (via HBV vaccine) | Rapid progression of liver disease |
| Hepatitis E | Contaminated water, faecal–oral | Usually acute | Limited availability | Severe disease, risk in pregnancy |
Spreads via contaminated food or water. Unlike B and C, it does not cause chronic hepatitis.8 Most people recover with supportive care; vaccines are available.
Spreads through infected blood, mother-to-child transmission, sexual contact, or contaminated needles/equipment. Infection acquired in infancy has a particularly high chance of becoming chronic.3 Vaccine-preventable.
Transmitted mainly through exposure to infected blood. No vaccine exists, but modern direct-acting antivirals cure more than 95% of appropriately treated people.4
Cannot infect without hepatitis B virus present. Coinfection can cause more aggressive liver disease and needs specialist assessment.9
Spreads mainly through contaminated water. Usually self-limiting, but deserves particular attention in pregnancy due to risk of acute liver failure.10
Common Causes and Risk Factors
Hepatitis A & E
- Contaminated drinking water
- Contaminated food
- Inadequate sanitation
- Poor hand hygiene
Hepatitis B
- Mother-to-child transmission
- Sexual exposure
- Contact with infected blood
- Unsafe injections / shared needles
- Unsterile tattooing or piercing
- Occupational needle-stick exposure
Hepatitis C
- Sharing injecting equipment
- Unsafe medical injections
- Unscreened blood products (historically)
- Occupational exposure
- Unsafe tattooing or piercing
Hepatitis D
- Relevant only with existing HBV infection
- Shares blood and body-fluid exposure routes
Signs and Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore
Many hepatitis infections initially produce no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they may include:
- Unusual tiredness or fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fever
- Upper-right abdominal discomfort
- Dark urine
- Pale or clay-coloured stools
- Joint discomfort
- Itching
- Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)
- New jaundice
- Persistent vomiting
- Significant abdominal swelling
- Confusion or unusual drowsiness
- Vomiting blood or black stools
- Unusual bleeding
- Rapid deterioration in general health
These symptoms do not necessarily mean hepatitis, but they warrant appropriate medical evaluation.
How Is Hepatitis Diagnosed?
Symptoms alone cannot reliably tell whether someone has hepatitis A, B, C, D or E. Diagnosis generally requires blood tests, and sometimes imaging or assessment of liver fibrosis.
Liver function tests
Blood tests may include ALT, AST, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, and other measurements — these show liver injury and function but do not identify the specific virus.
Hepatitis B testing
Tests may include HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBeAg/anti-HBe in selected situations, and HBV DNA, which measures viral replication.
Hepatitis C testing
Testing commonly begins with anti-HCV antibodies. A positive result indicates previous exposure but not necessarily active infection — HCV RNA testing confirms current infection.12
Screening test
Identifies possible infection
Confirmatory test
Establishes whether infection is present / active
Liver assessment
Determines how much liver injury or fibrosis has occurred (ultrasound, FibroScan, fibrosis scores)
Who Is at Risk and Who Should Get Tested?
Testing recommendations vary according to national guidance, individual risk and clinical circumstances. People who may particularly benefit from hepatitis B or C testing include those with:
- Possible previous exposure to infected blood
- A history of unsafe injections or blood transfusion where screening standards may have been uncertain
- Injecting-drug use
- HIV infection or dialysis treatment
- Unexplained abnormal liver function tests
- Tattoos or piercings with uncertain sterilisation practices
- Occupational exposure to blood
- A household or sexual partner with hepatitis B
- Origin from, or prolonged residence in, areas with higher HBV/HCV prevalence
Pregnant women should undergo appropriate hepatitis B screening, because identifying maternal infection allows interventions to reduce transmission to the newborn.13
International recommendations have increasingly moved toward broader adult HBV and HCV screening, while India's NVHCP provides national testing and management frameworks.7,14 Discuss your personal need for a hepatitis test with a qualified healthcare professional.
Hepatitis Treatment Advances and Outlook
Treatment depends entirely on the type and stage of hepatitis.
Hepatitis A and E
Most uncomplicated infections are treated with supportive care — hydration, nutrition and monitoring. Severe symptoms, pregnancy-associated hepatitis E, or signs of liver failure may require closer specialist care.
Hepatitis B
Chronic hepatitis B is treatable, but current antiviral therapy does not routinely cure HBV. WHO recommends potent antivirals such as tenofovir or entecavir for eligible patients.3,15 These can suppress HBV replication and substantially reduce disease-progression risk. Some people require long-term or lifelong treatment.
Hepatitis C
Modern oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens can cure more than 95% of people with HCV infection.4 Cure is confirmed by a sustained virologic response — HCV RNA remaining undetectable 12 weeks after therapy completion.
Hepatitis D
Should be managed by clinicians experienced in viral hepatitis. Pegylated interferon has historically been used in selected patients, while bulevirtide, an HDV entry inhibitor, is available in some jurisdictions.9
Prevention of Hepatitis — Vaccination and Lifestyle
Get vaccinated when appropriate
Effective vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis B vaccination also prevents HDV infection in people who have not already acquired HBV. WHO recommends the first hepatitis B dose within 24 hours of birth, followed by the full schedule.15 No effective, routinely available vaccine currently exists for hepatitis C.4
Reduce exposure risks
- Drink safe water
- Maintain good food hygiene
- Wash hands properly
- Use sterile needles and syringes
- Ensure blood products are screened
- Use properly sterilised medical/dental equipment
- Choose infection-control-compliant tattoo/piercing facilities
- Practise safer sex when relevant
- Never share injecting equipment
- Avoid sharing razors or blood-contaminated items
- Get appropriate hepatitis testing during pregnancy
- Seek assessment after occupational blood exposure
Protect your liver
People with hepatitis or other liver disease should discuss alcohol intake with their healthcare professional. Avoid unnecessary medicines, herbal preparations or supplements that could injure the liver without medical guidance — a "natural" product is not automatically safe for the liver.
Hepatitis Care Services at Epitome Superspeciality, Siliguri
Hepatitis care is not limited to a single blood test. Appropriate evaluation often involves identifying the type of hepatitis, determining whether infection is active, assessing liver injury, and deciding whether treatment or continued monitoring is required.
Clinical evaluation for hepatitis, jaundice & liver health
Patients can seek gastroenterology consultation for concerns related to hepatitis, jaundice, abnormal liver function tests and other liver or gastrointestinal conditions.
- Evaluation of jaundice
- Interpretation of abnormal liver function tests
- Hepatitis screening and diagnostic evaluation
- Assessment of hepatitis B and C
- Evaluation of chronic liver disease
- Appropriate laboratory investigations
- Liver fibrosis assessment / imaging when indicated
- Treatment planning & follow-up
- Counselling on vaccination and liver health
If you have previously been diagnosed with hepatitis, have unexplained abnormal liver tests, develop jaundice, or believe you may have been exposed to hepatitis, consider discussing your concerns with the Gastroenterology team at Epitome Superspeciality, Siliguri. This World Hepatitis Day 2026, understand your risk, protect your liver, and seek testing when medically appropriate.
Frequently Asked Questions
World Hepatitis Day 2026 is observed on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 — a WHO-supported global awareness day focused on prevention, testing, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.
July 28 is the birthday of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr Baruch S. Blumberg, whose work led to the discovery of hepatitis B virus and development of a diagnostic test and vaccine.
The five major types are hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. They are caused by different viruses and differ in transmission, chronicity, prevention and treatment.
There is no single answer for every patient. Chronic hepatitis B, C and D can cause serious long-term liver disease and are major global causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer, while acute hepatitis E can be particularly serious during pregnancy.
It depends on the type. Hepatitis A and most hepatitis E infections usually resolve spontaneously. Hepatitis C can usually be cured with modern antiviral treatment. Chronic hepatitis B can often be effectively controlled, although routine treatment does not usually eradicate the virus completely.
Current antiviral therapy can suppress hepatitis B very effectively and reduce the risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer, but chronic hepatitis B is not routinely cured by currently available treatment.
Yes. Modern oral direct-acting antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of appropriately treated people with hepatitis C.
Vaccines are available against hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis B vaccination also prevents hepatitis D in people protected from HBV. There is currently no effective vaccine against hepatitis C. A hepatitis E vaccine is licensed in some countries but is not routinely available worldwide.
Testing may be appropriate for people with blood-exposure risks, abnormal liver tests, injecting-drug use, dialysis, HIV, relevant sexual or household exposure, unsafe tattooing/piercing or other recognised risk factors. Pregnant women should receive appropriate HBV screening.
People concerned about hepatitis can seek medical evaluation through a qualified healthcare provider or gastroenterology clinic in Siliguri. At Epitome Superspeciality, Siliguri, patients can discuss their risk factors and whether hepatitis screening, diagnostic testing or further liver evaluation is appropriate.
References
- World Health Organization. World Hepatitis Day 2026: Hepatitis: Let's break it down. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report 2026. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis B. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis C. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- The Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1976: Baruch S. Blumberg and D. Carleton Gajdusek. Stockholm: Nobel Prize Outreach AB.
- World Health Organization. Global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs, 2022–2030. Geneva: WHO; 2022.
- MoHFW, Government of India. National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme: Operational Guidelines. New Delhi: MoHFW.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis A. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis D. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis E. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Hepatitis E vaccines: WHO position paper. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2015;90(18):185-200.
- World Health Organization. Guidelines on hepatitis B and C testing. Geneva: WHO; 2017.
- World Health Organization. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus. Geneva: WHO; 2020.
- Conners EE, et al. Screening and testing for hepatitis B virus infection: CDC recommendations, 2023. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2023;72(1):1-25.
- World Health Organization. Guidelines for prevention, diagnosis, care and treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Geneva: WHO; 2024.
- Schillie S, et al. CDC recommendations for hepatitis C screening among adults, 2020. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2020;69(2):1-17.
- MoHFW, Government of India. National Action Plan: Combating Viral Hepatitis in India. New Delhi; 2019.
- World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report 2024: action for access in LMICs. Geneva: WHO; 2024.
- World Health Organization. Consolidated guidance on hepatitis B and C prevention, testing, treatment and care. Geneva: WHO; 2026.
- World Health Organization. Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. Geneva: WHO; 2016.