New Delhi

Experts on Tuesday called for universal screening, adult immunisation and stronger maternal healthcare to help eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in India by 2030, saying the country already has the vaccines, diagnostics and treatment needed to achieve the goal.

According to the Illness to Wellness Foundation, the recommendations were made at the second edition of its conference on “Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatitis”, organised on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day.

Former Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said India has made meaningful progress through the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme but greater collaboration among the government, healthcare institutions, the private sector, civil society and development partners would be needed to expand hepatitis services and ensure quality care reaches every community.

Padma Bhushan awardee, senior professor and director of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) Dr S K Sarin said India’s next priority should be expanding adult hepatitis B immunisation, promoting early diagnosis, eliminating stigma and ensuring timely treatment for every patient.

Dr Asha Hegde of PATH India stressed the need to integrate hepatitis prevention into maternal healthcare, saying every pregnancy should be seen as an opportunity to prevent mother-to-child transmission through vaccination, screening and timely intervention.

Doctors from Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and the ICMR-National Institute of Virology also highlighted the importance of raising awareness, expanding access to quality diagnostics and strengthening screening programmes for early detection and treatment.

The conference featured technical sessions on women’s health and hepatitis, integrated approaches to prevention, and the role of nutrition and diet in hepatitis care. Discussions focused on universal screening during pregnancy, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, vaccination, public awareness, digital health technologies and public-private partnerships.

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In the concluding session, experts said eliminating viral hepatitis in India would require sustained investment in preventive healthcare, universal screening, adult immunisation, maternal and child health interventions, timely diagnosis, equitable access to treatment and greater public awareness to meet the World Health Organization’s 2030 elimination target.