Europe is on track to miss the 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat due to the uneven implementation of key measures, according to new data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on World Hepatitis Day.
Europe Set to Miss 2030 Viral Hepatitis Elimination Goal
While the region has made steady headway in preventing hepatitis B and C—with hepatitis B prevalence dropping to near-zero levels among children under five years old—millions of residents remain affected. Bruno Ciancio of ECDC noted the ongoing human toll, stating, No one should die from a disease that is preventable, diagnosable and treatable.
Ciancio added that millions of Europeans live with chronic hepatitis B or C infections without realizing it, which can cause severe long-term health consequences such as liver failure or liver cancer.
Current Progress and Established Controls
Existing containment strategies across Europe include vaccination against hepatitis B, harm reduction, infection control, early testing, and treatments capable of curing hepatitis C and controlling hepatitis B.
Routine screening for hepatitis B during pregnancy is firmly established across all 30 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. This measure has successfully reduced mother-to-child vertical transmission of hepatitis B to below 2% across the EU/EEA. Furthermore, acute hepatitis B infections have shown sustained declines since 2006. Among individuals younger than 25 years, the proportion of acute hepatitis B cases decreased from 11% in 2015 to 8% in 2024, illustrating the positive impact of childhood vaccination programs and preventive protocols.
Comprehensive screening frameworks also operate across the region to block transmission of hepatitis B or C via blood, tissues, or cells. Recent ECDC survey results indicate that many nations maintain robust systems capable of meeting updated safety standards outlined in EU regulations on substances of human origin.
Persistent Public Health Challenges
Despite these achievements, viral hepatitis persists as a massive public health hurdle. An estimated five million people in the EU/EEA live with chronic hepatitis B or C, and nearly 60,000 individuals die annually from liver disease connected to these infections.
Significant gaps remain at the community level. Only a minority of countries—specifically nine out of 25—across the EU/EEA have attained the World Health Organization target of fully vaccinating 95% of children against hepatitis B, with some nations even registering declines in coverage recently.
Injecting drug use accounts for the majority of hepatitis C cases with a known transmission route. Although harm reduction methods like opioid agonist treatment and the provision of sterile needles and syringes effectively curb transmission, regional coverage is inadequate. Only seven countries meet the WHO target for distributing sterile injection equipment to people who inject drugs. To address these gaps, the ECDC and the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) have outlined core interventions for people who inject drugs and created an online toolkit designed to support viral hepatitis elimination efforts within prisons.
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