Europe is facing a growing health crisis as millions of people are living with chronic hepatitis B or C without knowing it, putting them at risk of serious liver disease and cancer. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), around five million people in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway are infected with either virus, but most remain undiagnosed and untreated.
Hepatitis B and C can live undetected in the body for years, causing damage to the liver until symptoms appear. The viruses are spread through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids, including unprotected sex or shared drug equipment. Each year, roughly 50,000 deaths in Europe are linked to these viruses.
Health authorities are calling on countries to improve testing, vaccination, and access to treatment for those infected. Currently, over 65% of hepatitis B patients and 62% of hepatitis C patients remain undiagnosed. While hepatitis C can be cured with antiviral medication, hepatitis B cannot be cured but can be managed with long-term treatment.
The World Health Organization estimates that chronic viral hepatitis causes around 1.3 million deaths globally each year, which is comparable to tuberculosis. By 2030, it aims to prevent 2.8 million of these deaths by embedding hepatitis screening and treatment into primary healthcare for vulnerable communities.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/health/2025/07/28/millions-in-europe-unknowingly-living-with-hepatitis-health-authorities-warn