World Hepatitis Day is observed each year on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver, mostly caused by a viral infection that progresses to severe liver disease and liver cancer. Hepatitis is a major public health problem across the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, affecting 27 million people and leading to an estimated 97 000 preventable deaths each year.
On World Hepatitis Day 2025, WHO is urging communities, policy-makers and health authorities to commit to coordinated action to eliminate hepatitis. Under the theme Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down, this year’s campaign calls for urgent action to (a) dismantle the financial, social and systemic barriers – including stigma – that stand in the way of eliminating hepatitis and preventing liver cancer, and (b) scale up and integrate hepatitis services – vaccination, safe injection practices, harm reduction and, most importantly, testing and treatment – into national health systems.
There has been significant progress in the Region. In 2023, Egypt became the first country globally to achieve gold tier status on the path towards elimination of hepatitis C, as per WHO criteria. Through the 100 Million Seha presidential initiative, more than 60 million people were screened for hepatitis and over 4.3 million received free treatment. These efforts account for 70% of hepatitis C treatment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and 35% of the global total, and have resulted in a 35% drop in hepatitis-related deaths since 2018.
In December 2024, Egypt became