The World Hepatitis Alliance first launched this observance on 19 May 2008. In May 2010, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA63.18, moving the date to 28 July and making it one of WHO's official global health days starting in 2011. The date honors the birthday of American physician Baruch Blumberg, the Nobel laureate who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed a vaccine against it. Viral hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide and causes roughly 1.3 million deaths each year from complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, despite the availability of effective vaccines and treatments. The day urges governments to expand vaccination, early screening, and treatment programs, and educates the public on transmission routes and prevention methods. Health ministries and medical organizations worldwide mark the occasion with free screening and vaccination drives, alongside awareness activities targeting high-risk groups.