Overview

• Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged governments to step up efforts against viral hepatitis, which claims more than 1.3 million lives each year
• Only one in ten people with chronic viral hepatitis know their status, leaving most infections untreated and fueling ongoing transmission
• On July 28, health authorities in Ciudad de México, Córdoba and Rosario organized free viral hepatitis screenings, hepatitis B vaccinations and public education events
• Mexico’s IMSS conducted over 350,000 rapid hepatitis C tests in 2024, and programs like Censida continue to provide year-round free diagnostics and treatment
• Civil society groups including Fundhepa in Mexico and Hepatitis Rosario in Argentina are leading outreach to reduce stigma and connect patients with care