World Hepatitis Day - July 28, WHO observance raising viral hepatitis awareness since 2010
World Hepatitis Day on July 28 is a WHO observance launched in 2010 to raise awareness of viral hepatitis. The date honours Nobel laureate Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus. Each year the WHO publishes a flagship global report. Not a public holiday.
International observancePublished October 15, 2026
- Observed in
- UN
- When
- July
- Frequency
- Same date every year
- Days off
- Varies by country
- Public status
- Varies by country; consult local government gazette
World Hepatitis Day on July 28 is a WHO observance launched in 2010 to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, which affects 304 million people globally and causes 1.3 million deaths per year. The date honours Nobel laureate Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967. Observed in over 100 countries.
The one-line summary
WHO observance on July 28. Established 2010 by World Health Assembly. Raises awareness of viral hepatitis affecting 304M+ globally. Named after Nobel laureate Baruch Blumberg. Not a public holiday.
Origin and history
The World Hepatitis Alliance, founded in 2007 by four patient groups, designated May 19 as the first World Hepatitis Day in 2008. May 19 was chosen to mark the birthday of Baruch Blumberg (1925-2011), the American physician who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and won the 1976 Nobel Prize for the discovery.
In 2010, the World Health Assembly (the WHO\u2019s governing body) resolved to shift the date to July 28 - aligning with the WHO\u2019s global health calendar and the WHO\u2019s own Global Hepatitis Programme. The first WHO-recognised World Hepatitis Day was July 28, 2011.
The 2016 WHO Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis set the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 - meaning a 90% reduction in new infections and a 65% reduction in mortality. The 2024 WHO Global Hepatitis Report shows progress remains uneven; only 13% of people with hepatitis B and 36% with hepatitis C are diagnosed globally.
The five types
Five main hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E) cause viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A and E are typically transmitted through contaminated food or water and cause acute (short-term) infections. Hepatitis B, C, and D are transmitted through blood and bodily fluids and can cause chronic (long-term) infections leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Hepatitis B has an effective vaccine; hepatitis A also has an effective vaccine; hepatitis E has a vaccine licensed in China. Hepatitis C has no vaccine but is curable with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Hepatitis D only affects people who also have hepatitis B.
Controversies and criticism
World Hepatitis Day has been criticised for being too clinical and not addressing the stigma and social exclusion faced by people living with viral hepatitis. Many countries lack routine screening programmes, so people are diagnosed decades after infection when liver damage is already advanced.
The high cost of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C - up to $90,000 per course when first introduced in 2013 - has drawn criticism of pharmaceutical pricing. Generic competition and voluntary licensing have reduced prices to under $100 per course in many low- and middle-income countries, but access remains uneven.
Related observances
July observances include World Population Day (July 11, UN), World Youth Skills Day (July 15, UN), and International Day of Friendship (July 30, UN). World Hepatitis Day is the only WHO observance focused specifically on viral hepatitis.
Sources
WHO Global Hepatitis Report2024World Health Assembly Resolution 63.182010World Hepatitis Alliance archives2008Baruch Blumberg Nobel Prize biography1976