World Hepatitis Day 28 July 2025 – Let’s Break It Down
The chosen date of 28 July as World Hepatitis Day was to honour the birthday of Dr Baruch Blumberg, the Nobel laureate who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first diagnostic test and vaccine 56 years ago. It highlights the importance of hepatitis B among all types of hepatitis, including the other four viral hepatitis types (A, C, D, and E).
The hepatitis B virus was first discovered by Dr Blumberg in the 1960s in Australia. Today, this preventable infection—which can cause liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer—still affects 254 million people worldwide.
In Australia, chronic hepatitis B (having the virus for more than six months) is the most common cause of viral hepatitis, and the burden falls disproportionately on communities born overseas in regions where the virus is endemic and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Yet, common barriers prevent people from accessing diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. This is evidenced in the latest national Viral Hepatitis B Mapping Project report (https://ashm.org.au/resources/viral-hepatitis-mapping-project/), which shows that in Australia in 2023, an estimated 219,800 people were living with chronic hepatitis B:
• 31.2% of these people remain undiagnosed.
• 75.5% do not access crucial six-monthly liver health checks to reduce the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, despite all of them being required to do so.
• 17% of people who are eligible for hepatitis B treatment are not yet receiving it.
Barriers to care include language differences, cultural beliefs, and simple lack of knowledge, other factors—such as fear of discrimination, stigma, social isolation, or judgment—drive many to hide their status and avoid medical care entirely.
On World Hepatitis Day, we encourage you to:
1. Get the Facts Straight:
Hepatitis B mainly spreads through blood and can also be transmitted through sexual contact. It is not transmitted through casual contact like hugging, kissing, sharing food or water, or shaking hands. Knowledge reduce fear.
2. Talk Openly:
Encourage respectful conversations about hepatitis B. Normalising discussion reduces shame and encourages help-seeking.
3. Get Tested:
If you were born in a high-prevalence country or believe you might be at risk, see your doctor. A safe, effective vaccine exists to prevent infection.
4. Offer Support, Not Judgement:
If someone confides that they are living with hepatitis B, respond with empathy. Encourage them to access regular medical care and receive treatment if required. About 30% of people living with chronic hepatitis B need treatment, and treatments are highly effective at controlling the virus and protecting the liver.
Due to the highly effective hepatitis C treatments—with cure rates reaching 96%—the number of people living with hepatitis C has dropped from 162,590 in 2016 to less than 68,890 in 2023 in Australia (https://ashm.org.au/resources/viral-hepatitis-mapping-project/). We expect that the remaining people living with hepatitis C will be diagnosed and cured, preventing further liver damage and cancer.
Currently, the Love Health Program at ECCQ is partnering with the Kirby Institute at the University of NSW to provide free rapid hepatitis B and C testing for people born overseas, as part of a large national research project aiming to improve testing and diagnosis.
If you are interested in getting a test, please contact [email protected] or scan the QR code to register for a free test. You can find more information including translated resources on hepatitis, HIV, and STIs at www.eccq.com.au/bbv.
If you are in Cairns, you can contact the team at Cairns Sexual Health Services by calling (07) 4226 4769 or emailing [email protected].
