Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that is caused by a variety of infectious viruses and noninfectious agents. Five hepatitis viruses - hepatitis A virus (HAV),  hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus ( HCV), hepatitis D virus (HDV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) can infect humans and cause hepatitis.

HBV and HCV infection can become chronic and cause cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Data from 187 countries shows that viral hepatitis is a major public health challenge of this decade. An estimated 1.3 million people died from chronic viral hepatitis B and C in 2022, i.e., 3500 deaths per day. An estimated 254 million people are living with hepatitis B and 50 million people are living with hepatitis C worldwide, and 6000 people are newly infected with viral hepatitis each day. Many people remain undiagnosed in many countries, and even when hepatitis is diagnosed, the number of people receiving treatment remains incredibly low.

High-impact interventions are available, such as an effective cure for hepatitis C and vaccines for hepatitis B, but access to these interventions must be urgently expanded to save lives and prevent a future generation of new infections, cancers and deaths.