Reaffirming its commitment to achieving a Hepatitis-Mukt Bharat, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday observed World Hepatitis Day 2026, marking eight years of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) and highlighting the country’s progress in prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.
Observed under the global theme “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down”, the event underscored India’s commitment to eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 3.3. Launched on World Hepatitis Day in 2018 under the National Health Mission, the NVHCP has expanded access to hepatitis services across the country through a phased approach.
Addressing the event, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel called for intensified efforts by the Centre, States and all stakeholders to eliminate viral hepatitis by the end of the decade.
She said India is among the few countries providing free-of-cost treatment for Hepatitis C and management of Hepatitis B, while continuously improving access to affordable medicines and diagnostic services. The minister said the cost of medicines has been reduced to less than one dollar, while quality diagnostics are increasingly being made accessible to facilitate early diagnosis and timely treatment.
Patel said the programme initially strengthened treatment services for uncomplicated hepatitis cases at district hospitals and referral services for complicated cases before expanding screening and treatment facilities to more than 1.85 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, bringing hepatitis services closer to communities through primary healthcare institutions.
Highlighting preventive interventions, the minister said the Hepatitis B vaccine, introduced under the Universal Immunization Programme in 2011, has achieved over 92 per cent birth-dose coverage. However, she noted that while nearly 65 per cent of pregnant women are currently screened for Hepatitis B, States and Union Territories should work towards 100 per cent screening to ensure timely administration of the Hepatitis B birth dose and Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin (HBIG) within 24 hours for newborns born to Hepatitis B-positive mothers.
She also stressed the need to vaccinate healthcare workers against Hepatitis B to prevent occupational transmission and called for targeted interventions among high-risk populations to reduce the burden of chronic liver disease and liver cancer.
Describing Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C as “silent killers”, Patel urged States and Union Territories to intensify awareness campaigns so that more people understand the modes of transmission and avail themselves of testing and treatment services available at government health facilities.
Reiterating that health is a shared responsibility, she said sustained cooperation among the Union Government, States and all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
On the occasion, the minister released Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, including posters on Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C highlighting modes of transmission and the services available under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme for dissemination across States and Union Territories.
Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava highlighted the progress made under the programme, stating that more than 21 crore beneficiaries have been screened and over six lakh patients have received free treatment since the launch of NVHCP.
She said the programme has surpassed its target of establishing one treatment centre in every district, with the country now having 1,153 treatment centres, including more than 70 specialised treatment sites providing advanced care.
According to the Health Secretary, the programme’s achievements have been driven by a whole-of-government, whole-of-ministry and whole-of-society approach. She highlighted the convergence of NVHCP with the National AIDS Control Programme, which supports outreach among high-risk groups, and the Universal Immunization Programme, which provides the Hepatitis B birth dose and vaccination for healthcare workers.
She also noted that maternal health programmes have played a crucial role in preventing mother-to-child transmission through antenatal screening and administration of HBIG to newborns of Hepatitis B-positive mothers.
As a result of these coordinated efforts, more than 7.64 crore pregnant women have been screened for Hepatitis B, while 2.24 lakh newborns born to Hepatitis B-positive mothers have received HBIG, she said.
Calling for intensified efforts to identify every infected individual and link them to treatment, Srivastava emphasised the effective utilisation of the NVHCP Case-Based Management Information System (CPMIS), integrated with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), to strengthen patient tracking, treatment and follow-up while helping prevent further transmission of the disease.
Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Aradhana Patnaik, said the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme focuses on Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C through interventions such as antenatal screening to prevent mother-to-child transmission, administration of HBIG to newborns of infected mothers, and early detection and treatment of Hepatitis C, particularly among high-risk groups, including injecting drug users.
She added that the programme is being implemented through convergence with the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme and the National AIDS Control Programme, while the IEC materials released during the event are expected to strengthen awareness and outreach efforts across States and Union Territories.
Senior officials, including Director General of Health Services Dr. Lavneet Gopal Krishna, Joint Secretary Nikhil Gajraj, WHO Representative to India Dr. Yvan J.-F. Hutin, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Sandhya Kabra, Additional Chief Secretaries (Health) and other officials from the Ministry, along with representatives from States and Union Territories, also participated in the event, both in person and virtually.
