Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is undergoing rapid transformation worldwide. The number of deaths from hepatitis A decreased globally by 10%, despite the number of cases increasing by 4% between 2010 and 2019. Several factors have helped drive these changes, with many countries experiencing a rapid shift in the number of hepatitis A cases – leading to some populations now being at greater risk of acquiring hepatitis A.
To increase knowledge around the changing hepatitis A landscape, WHA has developed an advocacy briefing. It explores the number of factors driving these changes and discusses the remaining challenges facing hepatitis A. It also includes calls to action for community advocates to help reduce the number of hepatitis A cases and deaths.
The briefing calls for:
Raise awareness of hepatitis A
Improve public awareness of hepatitis A and the importance of vaccination for key and at-risk populations to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and prevent transmission and future outbreaks.
Understand the hepatitis A situation in your country and advocate for appropriate strategies to ensure prevention is prioritised
Speak to your government about reviewing its current guidelines to make sure they follow WHO’s updated 2022 recommendations for hepatitis A – single dose childhood programmes are effective and can be cost-saving.
Collaborate with WASH civil society organisations to advocate for change
By working together, hepatitis and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) community-based organisations can push for a comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of hepatitis A.
Champion responses that put people with lived experience and civil society at their heart
With civil society playing a central role, governments can ensure that hepatitis policies and programmes respond to communities’ needs and that no one is left behind.
Webinar
On Thursday 17 July 2025, WHA hosted a webinar ahead of World Hepatitis Day to shine a light on hepatitis A and how its landscape is changing globally. The event explored the factors that continue to drive hepatitis A cases and how we can address the remaining challenges to reduce both the number of cases and deaths globally.
Chaired by Rachel Halford, President of the World Hepatitis Alliance, speakers included:
- Dr Nick Walsh, consultant to WHO for the 2022 hepatitis A vaccine position paper, Monash University, Australia
- Siew Lin Ngui, Clinical Scientist, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- Professor Abate Bane Shewaye, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
- Eden Mucache, President, Associacao Mocambicana para Saude e Ambiente, Mozambique