Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are the leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer, with liver cancer remaining one of the most common cancers in Vietnam.
This news was heard at the Ministry of Health's scientific workshop on viral hepatitis prevention on July 23 in observance of World Hepatitis Day 2026, which falls on July 28.
At the workshop, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said that after the Covid-19 pandemic, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and dengue fever continue to pose a major burden for many countries. Vietnam has one of the highest rates of hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection in the region.
Vietnam is estimated to have about 6.5 million people living with hepatitis B and nearly 1 million with hepatitis C. Hepatitis B and C are the leading causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Liver cancer is currently one of the most common cancers in the country, placing a heavy burden on public health and mortality.
To mark World Hepatitis Day 2026, the Ministry of Health adopted the theme, "Accelerating Action to Eliminate Viral Hepatitis and Prevent Liver Cancer," highlighting the urgent need to step up prevention, early detection, and treatment efforts to protect public health and achieve the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030.
Health experts warned that Vietnam is among the countries with the highest burden of liver cancer worldwide. The country's age-standardized liver cancer incidence rate is significantly higher than the global average and the Southeast Asia regional average.
The main cause is viral hepatitis, with hepatitis B affecting about 7.2 percent of the population and hepatitis C infecting between 1 percent and 1.8 percent. Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease is also emerging as a new risk factor, signaling that the burden of liver cancer could continue to rise in the coming years.
