Post by World Health Organization South-East Asia

At the World Hepatitis Summit 2026 which opened in Bangkok this morning, Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Region, highlighted that hepatitis response is at a critical moment of both opportunity and risk. “The tools to end viral hepatitis already exist. We can prevent transmission, diagnose infection, and treat the disease—science is not the obstacle. Global financing is tightening, and health systems are under pressure. What separates countries that reach elimination is the sustained will to act.” The Region carries 16% of the global hepatitis burden - 50 million people living with hepatitis B and C - yet increasingly defines what elimination looks like in practice. Maldives has achieved triple elimination through sustained political will and investment in health; Thailand has embedded hepatitis within universal health coverage; and Bangladesh has expanded services for vulnerable populations, including in Cox’s Bazar. The next phase does not demand new knowledge. It demands the courage to protect investments, accelerate progress, and reach those left furthest behind – Dr Boehme said. #WorldHepatitisSummit #HepatitisElimination #EndHepatitis #HealthForAll #UniversalHealthCoverage #GlobalHealth