Video summary

World Hepatitis Day 2026 briefing

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News and Commentary

Summary of World Hepatitis Day 2026 Briefing (World Hepatitis Alliance)

Purpose and core message

  • World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28 each year, with the goal of encouraging decision-makers to prioritize viral hepatitis elimination.
  • The briefing frames elimination as achievable with existing tools:
    • Fast/accurate tests
    • Effective/affordable treatments
    • Hepatitis B vaccination
    • A 12-week cure for hepatitis C
  • Despite these tools, progress is described as stalled, and the campaign emphasizes barriers caused by:
    • Low awareness
    • Misinformation and myths
    • Stigma
    • Lack of action
  • Campaign messaging centers on “Let’s Break It Down.”

New evidence and health impact (WHO reporting)

The presenters cite WHO’s Global Hepatitis Report 2026 and highlight hepatitis as the world’s deadliest communicable disease:

  • Over 1.3 million deaths per year
  • Nearly 2 million new hepatitis B and C cases annually (about 1 million each)
  • 47 million people living with hepatitis C
  • 240 million people living with hepatitis B
  • 17% increase in deaths from hepatitis B since 2015

They also note that broader campaign materials include additional data across hepatitis types (A, B, C, Delta, and E), with attention to gaps related to:

  • Access to vaccination and treatment
  • System-level barriers

Campaign resources (what’s available and how to use them)

Resources are available through a refreshed website: worldhepatitisday.org, branded with “Let’s Break It Down.”

Included materials

  • Posters
    • Image-based and text-based
  • Social media assets
    • Carousel-style sets (landscape for LinkedIn/Facebook and square grouped images for carousels)
  • Customizable tools to create localized materials without starting from scratch
  • PowerPoint decks
    • Global hepatitis overview + campaign information
  • Zoom backgrounds
  • Campaign guidelines PDF
  • Logo packs (including updated/in-country packages)

Language and customization tools

  • Language packs: currently English only
    • Translations are arriving next week: Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish
  • Custom poster tools allow users to:
    • Auto-translate messaging into selected languages
    • Swap messaging content
    • Add background images and logos
    • Edit text fields to match local context

Take Action page

The Take Action page supports advocacy and tailored actions for three audiences:

  1. Individuals
  2. Healthcare professionals
  3. Policy/decision makers

It includes:

  • A campaign letter template (copy/paste)
  • A downloadable branded Word document for decision-maker engagement

How participants can collaborate (campaign activities)

Online

  • WHD Relay (World Hepatitis Day Relay):
    • Create a short video (up to ~30 seconds) as an individual or organization
    • Post it on World Hepatitis Day at 12:00 p.m. in your time zone
    • Use hashtag #WHDRrelay so the alliance can repost/share globally
  • Use #worldhepatitis and other discussion tags to amplify and correct myths
  • Create and share vox pop videos (street interviews) to test public knowledge and then provide factual corrections
  • Use messaging platforms (notably WhatsApp) to distribute campaign materials and help reduce stigma
  • Run virtual presentations using the provided slide deck and Zoom backgrounds

Public/community/physical promotion

  • Place posters in high-visibility community settings, such as:
    • Clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, libraries, community centers, universities, and other local venues
  • Host hepatitis-related activities such as:
    • Community rallies
    • Testing drives
    • Fundraising
    • Promote these using the custom flyer/poster tools
  • Some supporters may scale actions via billboards and building takeovers
    • The alliance offers help/advice for larger actions

Timeline and upcoming programming (leading to July 28)

Additional campaign activities are planned between now and July 28, though many dates are “TBC” (to be confirmed).

Possible webinar themes include:

  • A global hepatitis data webinar tied to the Global Hepatitis Report 2026
  • A liver cancer webinar
  • A webinar on triple elimination
  • A World Hepatitis Alliance community forum planned for Monday, July 27 (also TBC)

Participants are asked to monitor email and social media for updates.

Q&A highlights (questions raised during the briefing)

  • Domestic funding advocacy (Gloria, Nigeria):

    • Asked for success stories/case studies supporting domestic funding (rather than donor-funded programs).
    • Response: the campaign pack does not include that level of case-study content, but the alliance offered to help locate relevant resources and pointed participants to broader materials on the World Hepatitis Alliance website.

  • Where to place posters (Michael):

    • Asked for practical placement suggestions (e.g., grocery stores, gyms, temples).
    • Response: materials should be placed anywhere visible, especially in community venues and service sites (e.g., where testing occurs).

  • Africa-specific vaccine stat and regional breakdowns (Michael):

    • Asked why an Africa graphic appears and whether stats exist for other regions (e.g., USA).
    • Response:
      • The graphic reflects an Africa-focused statistic about hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine coverage (example given: about one in five receive on time).
      • For regional breakdowns, participants were directed back to the WHO Global Hepatitis Report 2026.
      • The alliance plans to provide a dedicated briefing summarizing key regional data.

Acknowledgements and close

The presenters thanked supporters of World Hepatitis Day 2026, specifically Abby, Gilead, and Mirram.

Participants were encouraged to:

  • Use #WHDrelay for their video on July 28
  • Begin preparing materials in advance
  • Visit worldhepatitisday.org and worldhepatitisalliance.org for ongoing updates and additional hepatitis resources

Presenters / contributors

  • Steve — Communications and marketing manager, World Hepatitis Alliance
  • Ben — Co-presenter / modeling campaign materials and guiding website access
  • Abby — Supporter acknowledged
  • Gilead — Supporter acknowledged
  • Mirram — Supporter acknowledged
  • Gloria — Participant (asked about domestic funding and success stories)
  • Michael — Participant (asked about poster placement and vaccine stat regional breakdowns)
  • Dr. Ashraf — Participant (question not fully captured in the provided subtitles)
  • Interpreters — Provided simultaneous interpretation during the webinar

Original video