The World Health Organization (WHO) has named Ghana and nine other countries as responsible for nearly 70 percent of all hepatitis B-related deaths worldwide in 2024, according to the 2026 Global Hepatitis Report released Tuesday at the World Hepatitis Summit in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), the two infections responsible for 95 percent of hepatitis-related deaths globally, claimed 1.34 million lives in 2024, with transmission continuing at more than 4,900 new infections every day.
The ten countries accounting for nearly 70 percent of hepatitis B-related deaths were Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, and Vietnam. For hepatitis C, a separate group of ten countries accounted for 58 percent of global deaths: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and Vietnam.
Liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were the leading causes of hepatitis-related deaths. An estimated 1.1 million people died from hepatitis B in 2024 and 240,000 from hepatitis C.
The burden on Africa is particularly acute. The WHO African region accounted for 68 percent of new hepatitis B infections in 2024, yet only 17 percent of newborns in the region received the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine. Fewer than five percent of the 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B were receiving treatment.
People who inject drugs accounted for 44 percent of new hepatitis C infections, highlighting the need for stronger harm reduction and safer injection measures.
The report also recorded meaningful progress. Since 2015, new hepatitis B infections have dropped by 32 percent and hepatitis C-related deaths have fallen by 12 percent. Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five has decreased to 0.6 percent, with 85 countries achieving or surpassing the 2030 target.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus acknowledged the gains but warned they are insufficient. He called for urgent scale-up of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment if the world is to meet the 2030 elimination targets.
The WHO is urging governments to expand vaccination coverage, improve access to testing and treatment, and integrate hepatitis services into primary healthcare systems.
