Everyone, Everywhere, Right Now!

The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) has declared hepatitis a global health emergency.

“Hepatitis is an epidemic out of control,” said WHA Chief Executive Officer, Cary James. “It is the only major communicable disease with rising mortality with increasing number of deaths linked to liver cancer.”

Speaking at the final day of the World Hepatitis Summit 2026 in Bangkok, Mr James said the WHA is committed to breaking the barriers holding the world back from a hepatitis-free future.

“We will work hard to disrupt the system. It’s time for bold action.” he said.

Raising the WHA rally cry: “everyone, everywhere, right now”, Mr James laid out WHA’s strategy to push decision-makers and funding organisations to facilitate and support expansion of hepatitis care to communities with limited access to health services.

Strategic objectives he outlined included increasing the urgency and speed of the hepatitis response, and driving a whole system approach to hepatitis, empowering communities and nurturing a strong future for the movement

Work which the hepatitis community needs to do could be framed into five “pillars” including shaping the global policy environment, leading and convening discussions and events as civil society, mobilising community to act and call for urgent action, shifting the focus of communications – motivating policy-makers to take action, and initiating or supporting community-led research.

…there had been numerous UN high-level meetings on other diseases such as tuberculosis, but none on hepatitis despite high mortality rate.

To drive speed and urgency in the response to hepatitis, WHA would engage with leaders at the at highest level: opinion leaders and decision makers stressing urgency and the need to prioritise hepatitis.

“This needs to be talked about at Geneva and New York, for action to be taken at those levels and resources provided for local governments to be motivated.

We will be pushing for a UN high-level meeting on hepatitis before 2028,” he added, pointing out that there had been numerous UN high-level meetings on other diseases such as tuberculosis, but none on hepatitis despite high mortality rate.

Adopting a whole health system approach means integrating hepatitis prevention, testing and care into broader health systems. To that end, WHA would instigate a new global hepatitis and cancer campaign, and convene meeting with multi-sector stakeholders to advocate for integration of hepatitis into the broader health system.

Mr James said the WHA would advocate a “treat all” policy for hepatitis B, help pave the way for functional cure, and push for increased hepatitis delta response. WHA would continue support for its community, currently represented by over 400 members from 130 countries.

“We will accelerate community, training including small group programs with emphasis on nurturing a youth movement,” he said emphasising the need to engage with, and develop leadership from, younger people living with hepatitis.

Posted 2 May 2026

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