Prevent. Test. Treat. What World Hepatitis Day Means for You

World Hepatitis Day - What It Means For You

Each year on July 28, World Hepatitis Day reminds us that hepatitis is still a silent killer—but it doesn’t have to be.

With vaccines, testing, treatment, and leadership, we have the tools to turn the tide. There are an estimated 300–350 million people globally living with chronic hepatitis B or C, and more than 1.3 million people die each year from liver disease and cancer caused by these viruses.

Yet testing, vaccination, and treatment remain dangerously low. According to the World Health Organization, these losses are preventable—but only if we scale up coordinated action now.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that new hepatitis B infections remained flat in 2022, while new hepatitis C cases fell by 6%. While that signals progress, significant gaps in prevention and treatment persist.

💡Injection drug use accounted for 57% of new hepatitis C infections, and outbreaks continue in high-risk environments such as correctional facilities. The burden is not equally shared.

With the 2030 hepatitis elimination goals approaching and one life lost every 30 seconds to hepatitis-related illness, now is the time to act—not later. World Hepatitis Day isn’t just a reminder. It’s a rallying cry to come together and commit to three urgent actions: prevent, test, and treat.

This is where Jenkins Public Health Consulting (JPHC®) can help. We work with health departments, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations to build equity-centered hepatitis response strategies that are as bold as they are sustainable. Through our 5-Step Community IMPACT Framework©, we help partners design trusted outreach campaigns, boost community vaccination rates, expand access to testing, integrate harm reduction services, and secure long-term funding to do it all at scale. Whether you’re starting from scratch or scaling up, we provide the training, strategy, and capacity-building support to close the gaps—for good.

Vaccination is one of the strongest tools we have, yet it remains neglected.

Nearly 90% of U.S. infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine, but global coverage of the birth dose hovers around just 45%, leaving newborns vulnerable in their earliest days. The CDC now recommends universal adult screening for hepatitis B, but awareness remains low.

Health programs should focus on expanding education, integrating birth-dose reminders into healthcare systems, and promoting community trust through culturally relevant messaging. Every missed opportunity to vaccinate is a missed chance to prevent liver cancer before it begins.

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Testing is the next critical link. When combined with harm reduction services—such as syringe access, mobile clinics, and peer outreach—the public health return is enormous.

But testing must be accessible and trusted. Too often, testing is disconnected from treatment, or unavailable in high-need settings like jails, shelters, and rural communities. Health leaders must invest in building seamless referral pathways and integrating hepatitis services into places where people already are—not just hospitals.

Equity must be front and center.

To eliminate hepatitis, we must eliminate the inequities driving it. This means engaging disproportionately impacted populations—not just as recipients of care, but as leaders and messengers. Peer-led education, stigma-free language, and community-informed design are not add-ons—they’re essential components of an effective response.

The tools we have—vaccines, testing, treatment—are available. But they only save lives when paired with deep community engagement, equity-focused delivery, and sustainable funding. That’s what we help build at JPHC: disease prevention programs and access to resources that don’t just exist, but improve health outcomes.

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