- Why in news
- On 27 July 2026, PIB published a explainer on India's drive to combat hepatitis by 2030 under the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP). It describes free testing and treatment and links with other national health programmes.
- What it is
- The National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) is a Health Ministry programme begun in 2018. It aims at prevention, screening and treatment of viral hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. It works by linking with existing programmes rather than running a separate system.
- Launch year
- The programme was launched in 2018 to provide screening and treatment services.
- Viruses covered
- NVHCP covers all five hepatitis viruses, A to E.
- Free services
- Free diagnostics and drugs are provided for hepatitis B and C management.
- Surveillance of A and E
- Hepatitis A and E are acute and outbreak prone, so they are tracked through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.
- Digital records
- Patient management and monitoring use a paperless system, the NVHCP-MIS portal.
Don’t confuse with Hepatitis A/E vs B/C: A and E spread by contaminated food and water and are usually self-limiting. B and C spread through blood and body fluids and can become chronic, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Don’t confuse with Hepatitis B vs C prevention: Hepatitis B has a vaccine, given under the Universal Immunization Programme. Hepatitis C has no vaccine but is curable with antivirals.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Hepatitis B and C cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer, so control reduces long-term disease burden.
- Integration with RMNCH+A, immunisation, NACP, NTEP and blood services saves cost and widens reach.
Problems
- Many chronic infections stay undiagnosed because they cause no early symptoms.
- Services must move from district hospitals to local health centres, which need trained staff and testing capacity.
Way forward
- Expand screening at primary health centres and in high-risk groups.
- Ensure a hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours of birth for all newborns and screen all pregnant women.
Put in your answer
Hepatitis B and C prevalence: The 2021 HIV Sentinel Surveillance data show about 0.85% positive for hepatitis B and 0.29% for hepatitis C.
Programme integration: NVHCP is linked with the NTEP for molecular testing machines and a shared toll-free helpline, an example of a health-systems approach.
- 2018Mains GS2 · Q7Role of local community-level healthcare in achieving Health for All
- 2024Mains GS2 · Q17State measures to extend grassroots public healthcare reach against marketisation
- 2015Mains GS4 · Q11Pharma R&D cost recovery for drug curing tribal liver disease
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting health programme with a 2030 elimination goal. Scheme facts are testable, but this release gives few precise numbers. Schemes drew 52 of 327 news-linked Prelims questions.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.