Millions of Indians living with hepatitis, fatty liver and alcohol-related liver disease; experts stress early testing, vaccination and healthy lifestyle

Hepatitis continues to pose a major public health challenge in India, with millions of people living with liver infections without knowing it. Doctors warn that the disease often progresses silently for years before causing life-threatening complications such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day 2026, experts from AIIMS, New Delhi, have urged people not to ignore liver health and stressed that early diagnosis, vaccination and healthy living can prevent thousands of deaths.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 254 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C. India is among the ten countries that together account for almost two-thirds of the global burden of viral hepatitis. Experts estimate that nearly 40 million Indians are living with chronic hepatitis B, while another 6–12 million are infected with hepatitis C. Despite the enormous disease burden, a large number of infected people remain undiagnosed and untreated.

Prof. Pramod Garg, Head of the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS, New Delhi, said the liver is one of the body's most vital organs, performing more than 500 essential functions, including digestion, metabolism, detoxification and immunity. When the liver becomes inflamed, the condition is known as hepatitis, which may be acute or chronic. While acute hepatitis usually lasts a few weeks, chronic infection persists for more than six months and gradually damages the liver, often without producing noticeable symptoms.

Prof. Shalimar, from the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS, said patients with acute hepatitis commonly develop jaundice, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. Although most recover within four to six weeks, untreated chronic hepatitis can silently progress to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. In many cases, patients do not realise they have liver disease until irreversible damage has already occurred.

Doctors explained that hepatitis can result from viral infections, excessive alcohol consumption, certain medicines and autoimmune diseases. Among the five major hepatitis viruses—A, B, C, D and E—hepatitis B and C are the most dangerous because they cause long-term liver damage and account for the majority of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide. Hepatitis A and E usually spread through contaminated food and water, whereas hepatitis B and C are transmitted through infected blood, unsafe injections, unprotected sexual contact and from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.

Medical treatment for viral hepatitis has improved dramatically in recent years. While hepatitis B can be effectively controlled with long-term antiviral medicines, hepatitis C has become one of the few chronic viral infections that can now be cured in more than 95% of patients with a three-month course of antiviral drugs. However, patients diagnosed at an advanced stage may still require liver transplantation.

Doctors cautioned that viruses are no longer the only threat to liver health. Fatty liver disease has emerged as one of India's fastest-growing health concerns, driven by obesity, diabetes, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Recent studies suggest that nearly 38% of Indian adults have fatty liver disease, with the condition also affecting almost 35% of children, highlighting the growing impact of poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles.

Alcohol-related liver disease is another major concern. Experts say excessive alcohol consumption remains one of the leading causes of severe liver damage in India and is contributing significantly to rising cases of cirrhosis and liver failure. They emphasised that maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, avoiding alcohol and taking medicines only under medical supervision can significantly reduce the risk of liver disease.

Research from the Department of Gastroenterology at AIIMS, New Delhi, has also shown that hepatitis A and E together account for nearly 30% of acute liver failure cases in India, a condition associated with a mortality rate exceeding 50%. Doctors say improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene remains one of the most effective ways to prevent these infections.

Observed every year on July 28, World Hepatitis Day marks the birth anniversary of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed its diagnostic test and vaccine. The 2026 theme, "Hepatitis: Let's Break It Down," calls for breaking stigma, combating misinformation and expanding access to hepatitis prevention, screening and treatment.

The WHO has set an ambitious target of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, aiming for a 90% reduction in new infections and a 65% reduction in hepatitis-related deaths. Supporting this goal, India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme provides free hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, free treatment for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and hepatitis testing at government healthcare facilities.

Doctors advise people at higher risk—including healthcare workers, pregnant women, people who have received blood transfusions, injecting drug users, family members of hepatitis B patients and other vulnerable groups—to undergo regular screening. They stress that timely testing, vaccination and healthier lifestyles remain the most effective tools to protect the liver and reduce the growing burden of hepatitis in India.

On this World Hepatitis Day, doctors have one clear message: hepatitis is preventable, treatable and, in many cases, curable—but only if it is detected before irreversible liver damage occurs.