Johannesburg, South Africa – On the 28 July, South Africa joined the global community in marking World Hepatitis Day 2025, which is observed annually to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and to call for urgent action to eliminate it as a public health threat.
Under the theme “Let’s Break It Down,” this year’s campaign urged governments, healthcare systems, and communities to dismantle the financial, social, and systemic barriers that hinder progress—particularly stigma, underdiagnosis, and lack of access to testing and treatment.1
More than 304 million people globally are living with chronic hepatitis B or C, yet the majority remain undiagnosed until it is too late. In South Africa alone, over one million new cases are reported each year—despite the fact that hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable and hepatitis C is curable with available therapies. 1,2
Dr Neliswa Gogela, hepatologist, commented: “Hepatitis B and C are silent killers. People often do not know they’re infected until severe liver damage or cancer develops. But this is a crisis we can stop. We have vaccines, we have treatment, and we have the tools – we simply need to scale up access, embed hepatitis care into our health system, and break the stigma so people are not afraid to get tested or treated.”
Although hepatitis is preventable, treatable, and often curable, only 45% of babies globally received the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine within 24 hours of birth in 2022—a critical early intervention. South Africa has made notable strides, yet challenges remain in ensuring equitable access, particularly in rural and underserved areas. 1,2
Understanding the Disease
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, most often caused by a viral infection. The most common types, hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV), are both blood-borne and can lead to chronic liver disease, liver failure, and liver cancer.
Hepatitis B is spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, unprotected sex, and from mother to child at birth. It is preventable through vaccination, which has been available for over four decades.1
Hepatitis C is commonly spread through unsafe medical practices, contaminated injections, or sharing needles. While there is no vaccine, hepatitis C is curable in most cases with a class of medicines known as direct-acting antiviral medications.1
Because symptoms often only appear in advanced stages, early testing and diagnosis are vital to preventing life-threatening complications.
Time to Act – Before It’s Too Late. Speak to your healthcare practitioner for more information.
Viral hepatitis causes an estimated 1.3 million deaths each year—a figure comparable to that of HIV/AIDS. Yet countries such as Egypt have proven that elimination is achievable through aggressive, integrated screening and vaccination efforts.2
South Africa has the science, tools, and expertise to respond effectively. What is now needed is national commitment, adequate investment, and a public health approach that embeds hepatitis services into primary care.
World Hepatitis Day 2025 served as a timely reminder: the elimination of viral hepatitis is within reach—but only if we act now.
Source – accessed 24 July 2025:
World Health Organization. World Hepatis Day 2025. Hepatitis Lets Break it down. Available from: World Hepatitis Day 2025. Fact sheets
World Hepatitis Alliance. What is Viral Hepatitis. Available from: Home – World Hepatitis Alliance. What is Viral Hepatitis – World Hepatitis Alliance.
