NEW DELHI: India has reported over 2,700 deaths due to Hepatitis B in the last five years.
In 2024, as many as 607 deaths were reported. The highest number of deaths (124) were from Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha was informed on March 18.
Sharing the details, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel in a written reply said that in the last five years, 2,729 deaths due to the virus were reported in the country.
While 173 deaths were reported in 2019-20, the numbers came down to 139 in 2020-21. However, in 2021-22, hepatitis-B-related deaths witnessed a sharp hike and over 323 people succumbed to it.
The number of deaths saw a further hike in 2022-23 when 515 deaths were reported. In 2023-24, the death toll further went up and stood at 972.
In 2025-25, 607 deaths were reported.
Other states that reported deaths due to Hepatitis B include Gujarat (95), West Bengal (80), Uttar Pradesh (79), Madhya Pradesh (72), Rajasthan (64), Tamil Nadu (27), and Kerala (2).
The minister said the government launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) in 2018 under the aegis of the National Health Mission (NHM) to offer diagnostic and treatment services for Hepatitis C, A and E.
The scope of the program was expanded to include diagnosis and management of Hepatitis B in 2019.
As Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease, the program provides for the administration of a Hepatitis B birth dose vaccine and Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin to babies born to Hepatitis B-positive mothers.
The NVHCP envisages the prevention of viral Hepatitis through awareness generation and behaviour change communication. All diagnostic and treatment services are provided free of cost under NVHCP at the designated government health facilities, the minister said.
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. The infection can be acute (short and severe) or chronic (long-term).
It is also the most commonly transmitted virus from mother to child during birth and delivery. It may also occur in early childhood.
It can also be transmitted through contact with blood or other body fluids during sex with an infected partner or unsafe injections.