52 Million Indians Have Hepatitis.
Most Don’t Know It.
This July 28, Find Out.
World Hepatitis Day 2026 is a call to action for every Indian. Hepatitis B and C together kill more people than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. The good news: both are testable, treatable, and preventable — starting today.
Everything India Needs to Know About Hepatitis — One Hub, Five Deep Guides
विश्व हेपेटाइटिस दिवस 2026 — एक complete guide जो आपको share करनी चाहिए
This hub links to five standalone clinical guides — each written to answer the specific question that brings most Indians to a search engine about hepatitis. Read the one that applies to you. Share the one that might save someone you know.
The 5 Most Important Hepatitis Numbers Every Indian Should Know
Data from WHO Global Hepatitis Report 2024 and National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme India 2023
People globally live with Hepatitis B
Of these, approximately 40 million are in India — making India the second largest Hepatitis B reservoir in the world after China. Most have had no contact with the healthcare system regarding their hepatitis. The virus is transmitted through blood, sexual contact, and most importantly in India — from infected mother to child at birth (vertical transmission), which accounts for 30–50% of all chronic Hepatitis B in the country.
People globally live with Hepatitis C
Approximately 12–18 million of these are in India. Hepatitis C is almost entirely curable with an 8–12 week course of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medicines — sofosbuvir-based regimens — which are available in generic form in India for Rs 3,000–5,000 for a complete treatment course. Despite this, the vast majority of Indian patients with Hepatitis C remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Deaths from viral hepatitis every year
Viral hepatitis kills 1.1 million people annually worldwide — more deaths per year than HIV (630,000), malaria (608,000), or tuberculosis (1.1 million — comparable). In India, an estimated 100,000–120,000 deaths per year are attributable to viral hepatitis complications — primarily cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma from chronic Hepatitis B and C. This death toll is largely preventable: Hepatitis B through vaccination and antiviral treatment, Hepatitis C through cure.
Types of hepatitis — A, B, C, D, and E
Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through contaminated food and water — the classic causes of epidemic jaundice in India, particularly during monsoon season. They are typically self-limiting but can be severe in pregnant women (Hepatitis E) and elderly patients. Hepatitis B and C are transmitted through blood and body fluids and cause chronic infection. Hepatitis D only infects people already infected with Hepatitis B. Each has a different prevention strategy, treatment approach, and clinical course.
Of hepatitis deaths could be eliminated by 2030
The WHO has set a target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 — reducing new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%. The tools exist: Hepatitis B vaccination (highly effective, available since 1981), Hepatitis C cure (DAA medicines, available since 2014), Hepatitis B antivirals (tenofovir, entecavir — both available as cheap generics in India). The obstacle is awareness, testing, and access — not medical capability. India’s National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) launched in 2018 aims to achieve this target.
What You Can Do Right Now — Three Actions That Could Save Your Life
आज ही करें — तीन काम जो आपकी जान बचा सकते हैं
Get Tested for HBsAg and Anti-HCV
A single blood draw at any lab in India. HBsAg costs Rs 150–300. Anti-HCV costs Rs 200–400. Together under Rs 700. If you have never been tested and are above 20 years old, this is the most important health test you have not yet done.
Vaccinate Against Hepatitis B if You Are Not Immune
If your HBsAg is negative and you have no HBsAb (immunity), start the hepatitis B vaccine series today. 3 doses over 6 months. Free at government hospitals. Lifetime protection. Protects you, your family, and your children.
Share This Page With 5 People Today
95% of people with hepatitis do not know they have it. The person who most needs to read this might be someone you know. One WhatsApp share could prompt a test that catches hepatitis B before it becomes cirrhosis — decades of difference.
India’s National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), launched in 2018 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, provides free Hepatitis B and C testing and free treatment at government health facilities across all states. Free Hepatitis C treatment (sofosbuvir-based DAA regimens) is available at district hospitals under NVHCP. Free Hepatitis B vaccine is available for all children under the Universal Immunisation Programme, and for high-risk adults at government facilities. Contact your nearest district hospital or CMHO office to access these services.
NVHCP हेल्पलाइन: 1800-11-4444 (Toll Free) · Govt hospitals में Hepatitis B और C का test और इलाज दोनों मुफ्त।
