How India Plans to Eliminate Hepatitis B and C by 2030: Key Challenges, New Treatments and the Role of AI
With millions of Indians living with hepatitis B and C, the country is expanding vaccination, free testing and treatment while exploring shorter drug regimens and artificial intelligence to improve diagnosis and care.
India has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating hepatitis B and hepatitis C as public health threats by 2030, a major objective under the global effort to combat viral hepatitis.
According to the World Health Organization's Global Hepatitis Report 2024, India has approximately 29 million people living with hepatitis B and 5.5 million with hepatitis C. Together, these infections account for a substantial share of the global hepatitis burden.
Both viruses can cause long-term liver infections that may eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer if left untreated.
To address this challenge, India has introduced a series of public health measures, including the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP), hepatitis B vaccination, screening of donated blood, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and access to free diagnosis and treatment.
Recent Indian research suggesting that certain hepatitis C patients may benefit from a shorter treatment course has also raised hopes of making treatment more affordable. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a potential tool for improving disease detection, surveillance and patient care.
However, achieving the 2030 goal will require more than medicines and technology. India must also address low screening coverage, social stigma, healthcare inequalities and gaps in rural medical infrastructure.
Key Highlights
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What Is Viral Hepatitis?
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. Although the condition can have several causes, including alcohol consumption, medicines and autoimmune diseases, viral infections are among the most important public health causes.
Five principal hepatitis viruses are recognised: hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.
These viruses differ in their modes of transmission, clinical outcomes and prevention methods.
Hepatitis virus | Main transmission route | Important characteristics |
Hepatitis A | Contaminated food or water | Usually causes an acute infection; vaccination is available |
Hepatitis B | Infected blood and body fluids; mother-to-child transmission | Can become chronic; an effective vaccine is available |
Hepatitis C | Primarily blood-to-blood exposure | Can become chronic; curative antiviral treatments are available, but no vaccine exists |
Hepatitis D | Infected blood and body fluids | Occurs only in people infected with hepatitis B |
Hepatitis E | Mainly contaminated water | Usually acute but can be especially dangerous during pregnancy |
Hepatitis A and E commonly cause short-term illness, with symptoms that may include fever, nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue and jaundice.
Hepatitis B and C are particularly concerning because they can remain undetected for years while progressively damaging the liver.
How does hepatitis B spread?
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) spreads through infected blood and certain body fluids. Important routes include transmission during childbirth, unsafe injections, contaminated medical equipment and sexual contact.
In regions where hepatitis B is common, transmission from an infected mother to her baby is a significant concern.
How does hepatitis C spread?
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) spreads mainly through exposure to infected blood.
Unsafe medical procedures, reuse of contaminated needles, inadequately screened blood products and sharing injecting equipment are important transmission risks.
Unlike hepatitis B, there is currently no approved vaccine against hepatitis C. However, modern direct-acting antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of treated patients in many settings.
How Serious Is the Hepatitis B and C Burden in India?
India faces one of the world's largest viral hepatitis burdens.
WHO's Global Hepatitis Report 2024 estimated that approximately 29 million people in India were living with hepatitis B and 5.5 million with hepatitis C. These figures are estimates rather than a complete count of diagnosed patients.
Hepatitis B
29 million
Estimated people living with infection
Hepatitis C
5.5 million
Estimated people living with infection
Source: WHO Global Hepatitis Report 2024. Figures are rounded estimates.
India accounts for more than 11% of the estimated global burden of chronic hepatitis B and C infections combined and has the second-largest national burden, after China.
The problem is compounded by the fact that many infected individuals remain unaware of their condition.
Chronic hepatitis B and C may produce few noticeable symptoms during their early stages. Consequently, patients are sometimes diagnosed only after serious complications have developed.
The economic burden can also be considerable, particularly for households that must pay for repeated investigations, specialist consultations or treatment of advanced liver disease.
What Is India's National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme?
India launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) in July 2018 to strengthen prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis.
The programme supports the broader objective of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, consistent with the WHO global health-sector strategy and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.3.
SDG 3.3 calls for combating hepatitis and other communicable diseases by 2030.
The NVHCP adopts an integrated approach combining preventive, promotive and curative services.
Its major components include improving public awareness, expanding screening, providing diagnostic facilities, strengthening referral systems and ensuring access to treatment.
Importantly, the programme aims to shift India's response from treating advanced liver disease towards preventing infections and identifying patients earlier.
What Measures Has India Introduced to Prevent Hepatitis B and C?
1. Hepatitis B vaccination
Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent hepatitis B infection.
Under India's Universal Immunisation Programme, a hepatitis B birth dose is recommended within 24 hours of birth, followed by hepatitis B-containing vaccine doses at approximately 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.
The birth dose is particularly important because it reduces the risk of transmission from an infected mother to her newborn.
Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, timely coverage remains a challenge.
Low parental awareness, healthcare-worker training gaps, delayed access to delivery services and vaccine supply or distribution problems can prevent children from receiving vaccination on schedule.
Expanding timely birth-dose coverage is therefore essential.
2. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission
India has strengthened antenatal screening and preventive interventions to reduce hepatitis B transmission during childbirth.
Identifying infected pregnant women enables healthcare providers to plan appropriate maternal care and newborn protection.
Depending on clinical circumstances and applicable guidelines, preventive care may include antiviral treatment for eligible pregnant women and hepatitis B immunoglobulin for exposed newborns, alongside timely vaccination.
3. Screening of donated blood
Screening donated blood for hepatitis B and C is essential for preventing transmission through transfusions.
Maintaining safe blood services requires reliable laboratory testing, quality assurance and compliance with blood-bank safety standards.
4. Safe injections and medical procedures
Unsafe injections and inadequately sterilised equipment can spread bloodborne infections.
Preventive measures include single-use injection equipment, infection-control training, safe disposal of medical waste and adherence to sterilisation protocols.
5. Harm-reduction services
People who inject drugs face an elevated risk of hepatitis C infection when injecting equipment is shared.
Needle-and-syringe programmes, opioid substitution therapy, counselling and access to non-discriminatory healthcare can help reduce transmission.
6. Free testing and treatment
Under the NVHCP, public-sector services are intended to improve access to hepatitis screening, confirmatory diagnosis and treatment.
Removing direct treatment costs is particularly important for economically vulnerable patients.
However, free services are effective only when patients can reach testing centres, receive timely results and remain connected to treatment.
Punjab's Triple-H Screening Initiative
In October 2026, the Punjab government announced plans to introduce triple-H screening for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C in government de-addiction and rehabilitation facilities.
The initiative is intended to improve early detection among individuals who may face increased exposure to bloodborne infections.
Integrating testing into addiction-treatment services could help patients receive counselling, medical referrals and appropriate treatment without requiring multiple visits to separate facilities.
Its effectiveness will depend on implementation, confidentiality, voluntary informed testing and continuity of care.
Can Hepatitis C Treatment Be Reduced From 12 Weeks to Eight Weeks?
One of the important recent developments in India's hepatitis response concerns research into shorter antiviral treatment.
An Indian clinical trial involving the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and public health institutions, including AIIMS Delhi, has suggested that an eight-week hepatitis C treatment course may be effective for certain patients who would otherwise receive a 12-week regimen.
Comparison of treatment durations
Conventional course
12 weeks
Studied shorter course
8 weeks
A four-week reduction represents one-third fewer treatment weeks. Actual cost savings depend on the drug regimen, pricing and clinical eligibility.
Why is a shorter treatment important?
Reducing treatment duration could have several public health advantages.
Patients may find shorter treatment schedules easier to complete, while health systems could potentially reduce drug expenditure and treat more people using existing budgets.
A reduction from 12 to eight weeks represents a one-third decrease in treatment duration and, where drug costs are proportional to treatment length, could reduce medication expenditure by a similar proportion.
However, an eight-week course should not automatically replace 12-week treatment for every hepatitis C patient.
The appropriate regimen depends on the medicines used, the patient's liver condition, previous treatment history and other clinical factors. Some eight-week regimens are already recommended internationally for eligible patient groups.
The Indian trial's findings therefore need to be interpreted according to its specific study population and protocol.
What Are Direct-Acting Antivirals?
Direct-acting antivirals, commonly called DAAs, are medicines that target specific stages of the hepatitis C virus's replication process.
Examples include sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, which have been used in hepatitis C treatment programmes.
Modern DAA combinations have substantially improved treatment outcomes compared with older interferon-based therapies.
Many patients can now achieve a sustained virological response, meaning the virus remains undetectable after treatment, which is generally considered a cure.
Nevertheless, affordability, availability and timely diagnosis remain important barriers in some healthcare settings.
How Punjab Made Hepatitis C Treatment More Accessible
Punjab introduced the Mukh Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund in June 2016 to improve access to hepatitis C treatment.
The initiative provided free treatment through a network that included 22 district hospitals and three government medical colleges.
Patients were registered and monitored during treatment, with follow-up testing used to assess whether the virus had been successfully cleared.
The programme helped reduce financial barriers to antiviral treatment and demonstrated the potential value of organised state-level responses.
Such approaches offer lessons for other states, particularly in patient registration, decentralised treatment and systematic follow-up.
However, successful expansion requires adequate drug supplies, trained healthcare personnel, reliable laboratories and effective monitoring systems.
Why Does Social Stigma Remain a Major Challenge?
Medical treatment alone cannot eliminate viral hepatitis if people avoid testing because of discrimination.
People living with hepatitis B or C may experience stigma in workplaces, educational institutions, marriage negotiations and social relationships.
Some may fear that a positive diagnosis will lead to job loss, rejection or social isolation.
Stigma can also affect people who inject drugs, prisoners, sex workers and LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly when they face additional barriers to healthcare.
A 2019 qualitative study by Frédérique C. van der Scheun and colleagues, examining attitudes among healthcare workers in Bengaluru, identified misconceptions and moral judgements surrounding hepatitis B infection.
Such attitudes can discourage patients from seeking medical assistance.
Low literacy, unemployment and socioeconomic disadvantage may further intensify discrimination and reduce access to reliable information.
What needs to change?
India's hepatitis elimination strategy must include public education, confidential testing, non-discriminatory medical services and healthcare-worker sensitisation.
Health communication should emphasise that hepatitis B and C are medical conditions, not indicators of an individual's character or morality.
Reducing stigma can encourage earlier diagnosis, improve treatment adherence and help prevent further transmission.
How Can ASHA Workers Help India Fight Hepatitis?
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) play a central role in India's community healthcare system.
As frontline workers, ASHAs often serve as the first point of contact between rural households and public health services.
Their familiarity with local communities makes them well positioned to support hepatitis awareness and screening programmes.
A 2022 study by Kalaiselvi Selvaraj and colleagues, examining ASHA involvement during a 2019 hepatitis E outbreak in a peri-urban settlement in Nagpur, highlighted their contribution to community mobilisation, referrals and public health response.
Although that study focused on hepatitis E rather than hepatitis B or C, its findings offer relevant lessons for broader viral hepatitis programmes.
ASHAs could help by explaining transmission risks, encouraging vaccination, identifying people who need screening, connecting patients with healthcare facilities and supporting follow-up visits.
To perform these responsibilities effectively, frontline workers need updated training, reliable information, adequate supplies and stronger referral infrastructure.
Community-based healthcare is particularly important in remote and underserved areas where specialist services are limited.
How Can Artificial Intelligence Transform Hepatitis Prevention and Treatment?
Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve several stages of viral hepatitis care, from screening and diagnosis to long-term monitoring.
However, most AI applications should currently be understood as clinical support tools, not replacements for laboratory testing or qualified healthcare professionals.
1. AI-assisted detection of liver abnormalities
AI-based image analysis systems can examine medical scans and help identify abnormalities associated with liver disease.
Convolutional neural networks, a form of deep learning, have been investigated for detecting and classifying liver lesions in CT and other medical images.
These tools may assist radiologists in identifying suspicious lesions and assessing patients who are at risk of complications such as liver cancer.
However, an AI model detecting a liver lesion does not establish whether a person has hepatitis C. Confirming viral infection requires appropriate laboratory testing.
2. Predicting disease progression
AI models can analyse combinations of clinical information, laboratory results and imaging findings to help estimate the risk of advanced liver disease.
Potential applications include identifying patients who may need closer monitoring for cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Such systems require rigorous validation before routine clinical deployment.
3. Improving epidemiological surveillance
AI can support public health surveillance by analysing patterns in disease reporting, demographic information and healthcare utilisation.
Researchers have explored whether predictive models can help identify areas where infections may be underdiagnosed or where testing resources should be prioritised.
A 2025 study by Zhi-Li Chen and colleagues discussed the broader potential of artificial intelligence in gastroenterology and hepatology, including precision diagnosis, surveillance and equitable healthcare.
4. Supporting treatment adherence
Digital systems could help healthcare providers identify missed appointments, delayed laboratory tests or interruptions in treatment.
AI-assisted follow-up systems may enable targeted reminders and more efficient patient support.
These applications must protect patient privacy and avoid penalising individuals whose treatment interruptions are caused by poverty, travel difficulties or limited healthcare access.
5. Expanding access in low-resource settings
AI-assisted clinical decision support could eventually help healthcare workers in underserved areas identify patients who need specialist attention.
When integrated with affordable diagnostics, telemedicine and functioning referral networks, such systems may help reduce healthcare disparities.
Nevertheless, technological solutions cannot compensate for a lack of medicines, trained staff, laboratory capacity or basic health infrastructure.
Why Is Early Diagnosis Still a Major Challenge?
Many hepatitis B and C infections remain undiagnosed because people may not experience symptoms for years.
A 2025 study by Ekta Gupta and Shiv Kumar Sarin, titled Fast Pacing India's Fight Against Viral Hepatitis: Targets & Action Points, highlighted the importance of strengthening screening and diagnosis.
A major challenge is that testing services may be concentrated in selected healthcare facilities, with many patients accessing them only after developing symptoms.
This approach risks missing individuals with asymptomatic infections.
Expanding testing beyond symptomatic patients could help identify infections earlier and prevent complications.
Priority measures include improving screening in remote areas, strengthening access for marginalised populations, simplifying referral pathways and increasing availability of confirmatory tests.
For hepatitis C, antibody screening alone is not sufficient to confirm an active infection. Patients with positive antibody results generally need a test for current infection, such as HCV RNA testing.
Similarly, hepatitis B diagnosis and clinical management require appropriate blood tests and medical assessment.
What Must India Do to Achieve Its 2030 Hepatitis Elimination Goal?
Achieving hepatitis elimination as a public health threat does not mean that every infection will disappear by 2030.
Under WHO's global strategy, elimination involves major reductions in new infections and hepatitis-related deaths, supported by improvements in vaccination, diagnosis and treatment coverage.
India's progress will depend on coordinated action across several areas.
Expand vaccination and maternal screening
Increasing timely hepatitis B birth-dose coverage and strengthening antenatal testing can help prevent new infections among children.
Make screening more accessible
Testing services need to reach rural communities, urban informal settlements and populations that face barriers to conventional healthcare.
Improve access to affordable treatment
Reliable supplies of hepatitis B medicines and hepatitis C antivirals are essential.
Treatment programmes should also include laboratory monitoring and specialist referral for patients with advanced liver disease.
Strengthen laboratories and healthcare workforce
More diagnostic facilities, trained clinicians, laboratory professionals and liver-disease specialists are needed to support timely care.
Build reliable surveillance systems
Continuous collection of epidemiological data can help identify gaps, monitor treatment outcomes and guide resource allocation.
Address stigma and discrimination
Confidential services, patient education and respectful healthcare practices can improve testing uptake and continuity of treatment.
Integrate technology responsibly
AI, telemedicine and digital follow-up systems may improve efficiency, but their effectiveness must be assessed through clinical evidence, data protection safeguards and equitable access.
Why Is the 2030 Target Important?
The elimination of hepatitis B and C as public health threats would reduce preventable liver disease, cancer and premature deaths.
It would also lower the financial burden on families and healthcare systems.
India's large population means that progress in its national hepatitis programmes could make a substantial contribution to global elimination efforts.
However, the 2030 target is ambitious. Meeting it will require sustained funding, stronger coordination between national and state health authorities, and a healthcare system capable of reaching people who remain undiagnosed.
India has taken important steps towards eliminating hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030 through vaccination, free diagnosis, antiviral treatment and community-based interventions.
The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme provides a foundation for this effort, while state initiatives such as Punjab's hepatitis C treatment programme demonstrate the value of improving affordability and access.
Research into shorter hepatitis C treatment regimens may offer further opportunities to reduce costs and expand treatment coverage for eligible patients.
Artificial intelligence could also strengthen diagnosis, surveillance and patient follow-up, provided it is supported by reliable clinical evidence and accessible healthcare infrastructure.
India's success will ultimately depend on combining medical advances with early detection, equitable treatment, public awareness and the elimination of stigma.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is India's target for eliminating hepatitis B and C?
India aims to eliminate hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030, in alignment with WHO's global hepatitis elimination strategy and Sustainable Development Goal 3.3.
How many people in India have hepatitis B and C?
According to WHO's Global Hepatitis Report 2024, approximately 29 million people in India were living with hepatitis B and 5.5 million with hepatitis C.
What is the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme?
The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme was launched in July 2018 to strengthen viral hepatitis prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment across India.
Is hepatitis B curable?
Chronic hepatitis B can usually be controlled with antiviral treatment, but a complete cure is not routinely achievable with currently available standard therapies. Vaccination can prevent hepatitis B infection.
Can hepatitis C be cured?
Yes. Modern direct-acting antiviral medicines can cure hepatitis C in more than 95% of treated patients in many clinical settings.
Is there a vaccine for hepatitis C?
No. There is currently no approved vaccine against hepatitis C. Prevention focuses on avoiding exposure to infected blood and ensuring safe medical practices.
Can hepatitis C treatment be completed in eight weeks?
Certain hepatitis C patients can be treated with approved eight-week antiviral regimens. Recent Indian research has also examined shorter treatment schedules. The appropriate duration depends on the patient's condition and prescribed medicines.
How can AI help in hepatitis diagnosis?
AI may assist healthcare professionals by analysing liver scans, assessing disease progression, identifying surveillance patterns and supporting treatment follow-up. Laboratory tests remain necessary to diagnose hepatitis B and C infections.
How does hepatitis B spread from mother to child?
Hepatitis B can be transmitted during childbirth. Timely newborn vaccination, appropriate maternal screening and additional preventive interventions can substantially reduce this risk.
What are the main challenges to eliminating viral hepatitis in India?
Major challenges include undiagnosed infections, gaps in vaccination and screening coverage, limited healthcare infrastructure, treatment access barriers, stigma and shortages of trained medical personnel.
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