"Today's Hepatitis, Tomorrow's Liver Cancer"... World Hepatitis Day Commemorative Event Held

Jointly Organized by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver

On July 28, in recognition of World Hepatitis Day, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver held the "2026 World Hepatitis Day Commemorative Event" at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul.

World Hepatitis Day is an international observance established at the 63rd World Health Assembly in 2010 to promote the importance of preventing and managing viral hepatitis and to encourage each country's efforts to eliminate hepatitis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 280 million people worldwide are affected by hepatitis B·C. More than 1.3 million people die from hepatitis-related causes each year. In Korea, it is known that more than 70% of liver cancer cases are caused by hepatitis B·C.

This event, held under the theme "Today's Hepatitis, Tomorrow's Liver Cancer," shares achievements in domestic viral hepatitis management and discusses future strategies for hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention.

In the first part, under the theme "Achievements in Hepatitis Elimination and Policy Changes," the achievements and future directions following the introduction of the national health screening program for hepatitis C will be presented. In addition, the recently revised hepatitis B clinical practice guidelines and their clinical implications will be shared. The updated hepatitis B treatment guidelines now include DNA levels as a core indicator for initiating treatment, thereby expanding the pool of patients eligible for treatment beyond those previously classified only by liver enzyme levels.

The second part, under the theme "Advancing Hepatitis Management and the Future Vision," will share the operational achievements of community-based hepatitis elimination programs and discuss comprehensive management strategies for liver cancer prevention, covering everything from viral hepatitis prevention to diagnosis and treatment. The subsequent panel discussion will feature experts from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver, who will discuss in depth the future direction of policy development and the establishment of a liver cancer prevention-centered management system, building on the achievements of domestic viral hepatitis management.

Lim Youngseok, President of the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver, stated, "Hepatitis is a disease that can be adequately managed if detected and treated early. Based on the national health screening program and treatment guidelines, our association will continue to cooperate closely with the government to contribute to hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention in Korea."

Lim Seungkwan, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said, "Our country has achieved a reduction in hepatitis B incidence and early detection of hepatitis C cases through expanded vaccination, broader access to treatment, and the introduction of the national health screening program. I hope that this commemorative event serves as an opportunity to further advance the national hepatitis management system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.