Ghebreyesus calls for accelerating efforts to prevent, eliminate viral hepatitis

| Ghebreyesus calls for accelerating efforts to prevent, eliminate viral hepatitis [Wed, 29 Jul 2026 14:49:42 +0300] Geneva – Saba: On Wednesday, World Hepatitis Day, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on world leaders to remove obstacles preventing people from accessing prevention, testing, and treatment services for viral hepatitis, stressing that these services save lives. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained in a blog post on the "X" platform, as reported by the Yemeni News Agency (SABA), that approximately 287 million people are living with hepatitis B and C, while 1.3 million people died from the disease last year. He pointed out that less than half of newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours of birth, despite it being one of the most effective ways to prevent lifelong infection. The Director-General of the World Health Organization stressed that the time has come to translate scientific progress into practical action, calling for intensified global efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat. |