World Hepatitis Day 2025: Let’s Overcome the Fear!

• Written by Mudit Handa

  Reviewed by Rashmi Rai

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The world is currently experiencing a serious health crisis, with rising liver health issues fueled by rampant junk food consumption and poor air and water quality. Among these, hepatitis, the most common disease, holds sway over a considerable population.

The World Hepatitis Alliance identifies hepatitis as the world’s deadliest virus after COVID-19. With over 2 million new cases surfacing annually and more than 300 million people living with the disease, hepatitis has become a global concern.

The WHO and World Hepatitis Alliance collaborate to observe World Hepatitis Day annually every July 28th. This global campaign aims to raise awareness about viral hepatitis- an inflammation of the liver that causes severe disease and liver cancer.

What is the Aim of World Hepatitis Day?

World Hepatitis Day highlights the need for a global response to eliminate hepatitis by 2030, a disease currently seen as a worldwide public health threat.

This crucial day for liver health awareness allows people worldwide to unite, raise consciousness, advocate for better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and support those affected by the disease.

What is the World Hepatitis Day 2025 Theme?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the theme for 2025:

“Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down”

This year’s initiative urges prompt efforts to remove financial, social, and systemic obstacles, such as stigma, that hinder the elimination of hepatitis and liver cancer prevention.

In recent years, the theme for World Hepatitis Day has often focused on specific aspects of the fight against hepatitis, such as ‘Find the Missing Millions’ or ‘Hepatitis Can't Wait.’

When was World Hepatitis Day First Observed?

The first global observation ofWorld Hep Day happened in 2004. On 1st October 2004, the International Hepatitis C Awareness Day was observed by various European and Middle Eastern patient groups.

In 2008, the World Hepatitis Alliance, working with patient groups, established May 19 as the first global World Hepatitis Day.

After a resolution passed at the 63rd World Health Assembly in May 2010, World Hepatitis Day received worldwide support as the global awareness day for campaigns. July 28 was designated as World Hepatitis Day to honour the birthday of Nobel Laureate Dr. Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and developed a vaccine for it.

What are the Goals for World Hepatitis Day 2025?

This World Hepatitis Day, the World Hepatitis Alliance, along with its partners, allies, and 400 members across 120 countries, urges action to dismantle obstacles preventing a hepatitis-free world and eliminate this entirely preventable disease.

Accordingly, this year’s goals are:

• Ensure everyone has the knowledge and understanding to make informed decisions about hepatitis testing, treatment, and vaccination.
• Urge governments to become advocates by disseminating resources and data that facilitate the detection of affected communities.
• End the stigma for people living with hepatitis so that no one is left behind.
• Recognise that hepatitis elimination is possible and achievable if we all collaborate to make it a reality.

To realise the World Hepatitis Day theme, WHO has begun its drive to urge efforts to remove financial, social, and systemic obstacles, including stigma, that hinder the elimination of hepatitis and liver cancer prevention. The World Hepatitis Alliance, its partners, allies, and 400 members across 120 countries, are all collaborating to dismantle these obstacles.

How Can We Take an Active Part in World Hepatitis Day 2025?

You can take an active role as a flagbearer of World Hepatitis Day 2025 by taking part in the following activities:

• Raise Awareness: Help others understand viral hepatitis and its impact on liver health and cancer.
• Advocacy: Actively support initiatives for better prevention, diagnosis, treatment and improve access to these services.
• Support Those Affected By The Disease: Offer help and understanding to individuals with hepatitis.
• Educate Yourself and Others: Gain knowledge about hepatitis testing, treatment, and vaccination to make informed decisions.
• Empower Decision-Makers: Provide resources that help enhance the lives of affected communities.
• Work to End Stigma: Help create an environment where people living with hepatitis are not discriminated against.
• Collaborate for Elimination: Recognise that a hepatitis-free world is achievable through collective effort.

These are some of the key proactive measures that you can take to support the goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030.

How Does Hepatitis Affect Liver Health?

Chronic hepatitis B and C are silent killers that lead to liver damage and cancer, even though they are preventable, treatable, and, for hepatitis C, curable.

Therefore, the key concern behind World Hepatitis Day highlights the importance of simplifying, expanding, and integrating hepatitis services, which include incorporating the following aspects into national health systems: 

• Vaccination  
• Safe injection practices, 
• Harm reduction, 
• Testing, and 
• Treatment

Moreover, by taking proper preventative measures and living a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and regular exercise, you can avoid the possibility of hepatitis. Symptoms of even minor liver complications, such as high SGPT and SGOT levels or elevated CRP levels in the liver, should never be ignored and must be addressed with urgent medical attention.

Learn to lower SGPT and SGOT levels in the liver

Besides a proactive healthy lifestyle, you need comprehensive health insurance as an additional layer of protection to safeguard your finances from a health emergency.

Get Advanced Health Coverage to Overcome the Fear

If left untreated, Hepatitis B and C can lead to life-threatening diseases such as liver cancer.

Hospital expenses and hefty medical bills caused due to such medical emergency can engulf a significant chunk of your savings. Therefore, alongside healthy habits, and timely recognition of health issues, it’s time to break down the fear of a health emergency by getting advanced health coverage in the form of an affordable critical illness insurance plan. 

Such a health insurance plan covers all your medical expenses in case of end-stage liver disease, including pre- and post-hospitalisation expenses, important diagnostic tests such as LFT, ensuring timely help during a health crisis. However, when choosing health coverage, it’s crucial to consider the waiting periods associated with various pre-existing conditions.

Disclaimer: Verifying the policy details and coverage with the official policy documents is essential. Also, kindly consult a professional medical expert to verify the details of your health concerns.