WHO's 287M hepatitis count puts UAE screening pathways under 2030 pressure

World Health Organization (WHO) data released on 28 April 2026 show 287 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B or C in 2024, putting pressure on UAE providers to connect screening with treatment before the 2030 elimination targets.

For UAE healthcare executives, the number to remember is 5%: WHO said fewer than that share of people with chronic hepatitis B were receiving treatment in 2024.

Global gains leave a treatment gap

The WHO announcement said hepatitis B and C caused 1.34 million deaths in 2024. New infections reached 1.8 million a year, equal to more than 4,900 infections a day.

WHO also recorded progress since 2015. Annual new hepatitis B infections fell 32%. Hepatitis C-related deaths fell 12%. Hepatitis B prevalence among children under five declined to 0.6%, while 85 countries reached or passed the 0.1% 2030 target for that age group.

"The data shows that progress is possible but also reveals where we are falling short. Every missed diagnosis and untreated infection due to chronic viral hepatitis represents a preventable death," said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director, WHO Department for HIV, TB, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

UAE providers sit inside the screening system

In the UAE, hepatitis policy is split across Dubai Health Authority (DHA) in Dubai, Department of Health Abu Dhabi (DOH) in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, and Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in the Northern Emirates and federal programmes. MOHAP said in 2025 that the UAE added hepatitis B vaccination to the national immunisation programme in 1991, and that medical fitness protocols include mandatory hepatitis B and C testing for targeted population groups.

The operational risk is the gap between a positive screen and completed care. Of 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B in 2024, fewer than 5% were receiving treatment, according to WHO. For hepatitis C, only 20% had been treated since 2015, when short-course treatment with a cure rate of about 95% became available.

• Hepatitis B vaccine protects more than 95% of vaccinated people, according to WHO.
• Hepatitis C treatment lasts 8-12 weeks and cures more than 95% of infections, according to WHO.
• People who inject drugs accounted for 44% of new hepatitis C infections in 2024, according to WHO.
• Ten countries accounted for 69% of hepatitis B-related deaths in 2024, according to WHO.

Board takeaway for 2030

A hospital group with laboratories, gastroenterology clinics and occupational health contracts can turn a positive screen into a referral, viral load confirmation and treatment plan. A fragmented pathway can leave the same test as a compliance record with limited clinical value.

For Dubai providers, DHA rules will matter most in licensed facility workflows and healthcare professional screening. For Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, DOH prevention and population-health priorities will shape provider reporting and referral expectations. For Northern Emirates operators, MOHAP remains the central reference point for national immunisation, medical fitness and public-health messaging.

By 2030, UAE operators should expect closer scrutiny of birth-dose vaccination, high-risk adult screening, hepatitis C treatment access and referral completion rates. The board-level question is whether each positive test can be traced to confirmed diagnosis, specialist review and treatment completion.