Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 marked World Hepatitis Day by calling on citizens to renew their commitment to eliminating hepatitis in the state, urging early testing, timely treatment, vaccination, and greater public awareness as the tools to save lives.

Context

World Hepatitis Day is observed every year on 28 July to raise global awareness about viral hepatitis and to drive action toward its elimination. The day is anchored in World Health Organisation targets that call for eliminating hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030. Chief Minister Majhi's message aligns with this global calendar, urging residents of Odisha to treat the observance as a call to action rather than a ceremonial moment.

In his post, Majhi wrote: 'Early testing, timely treatment, vaccination and greater awareness can save lives. Together, let us break the stigma, strengthen prevention and work towards eliminating hepatitis for a healthier future.' The appeal specifically names stigma as a barrier — a recognition that social attitudes around hepatitis continue to delay diagnosis and treatment-seeking behaviour across communities.

Policy Backdrop

India launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) in 2018 to expand testing, treatment, and vaccination for hepatitis B and C across the country. The programme is integrated into the National Health Mission framework, enabling states including Odisha to deliver services through existing district-level health infrastructure. The NVHCP was designed specifically to help India meet WHO's 2030 elimination targets.

Odisha, like other states, incorporates hepatitis control efforts into its public health machinery, with emphasis on community-level screening camps, hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, and awareness drives conducted through primary health centres. State-level health departments are expected to report on screening coverage and service integration as part of annual National Health Mission reviews.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of sustained hepatitis control efforts are Odisha's general population, particularly communities in districts with limited healthcare access where hepatitis B transmission through perinatal and household contact remains a concern. Healthcare workers are also key stakeholders, both as frontline providers of testing and vaccination and as a group at occupational risk.

Hepatitis patients and those living with chronic hepatitis B or C stand to gain most directly from reduced stigma and improved access to treatment — two pillars that Majhi's message explicitly addresses. Public health advocates note that stigma reduction requires consistent political messaging from senior leaders, making statements such as this one a meaningful part of the broader campaign even when no new policy is announced.

What's Next

The immediate follow-through will depend on Odisha's state health department and its ability to translate awareness messaging into measurable increases in screening coverage and vaccination uptake at the district level. Integration of hepatitis services into upcoming budget allocations for the National Health Mission in the state will be a key indicator of how the political commitment translates into programme delivery.

With the WHO 2030 elimination deadline approaching, state-level action — from scaling up testing infrastructure to sustaining hepatitis B birth-dose coverage — will determine whether Odisha contributes meaningfully to India's national elimination goals. Health department performance reports in the next budget cycle will offer the clearest signal of progress.