The current increase focuses attention on the thousands of acute viral hepatitis infections that occur each year in children, adolescents, and adults.
Treatment of hepatitis
WHOTogether with scientists and policymakers in the affected countries, are working to understand the cause of the infection, which does not appear to belong to any of the five hepatitis viruses. known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E.
While the world has guidelines and tools for diagnosing, treating and preventing chronic viral hepatitis, services are often outside the reach of the community and sometimes only in specialized or specialized hospitals.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus said: “To be most effective, viral hepatitis care must be delivered in the community through robust primary health care and integration with health services. other economy that fully meets health needs”. message for World Hepatitis Day.
Get risk
Although most acute infections cause mild illness and even go undetected, some can lead to complications and death.
In 2019 alone, complications from acute hepatitis A to E infection caused an estimated 78,000 deaths worldwide.
Global efforts prioritize eliminating hepatitis B, C and D infections.
Unlike acute viral hepatitis, B, C, and D cause chronic disease, lasting several decades, up to more than a million deaths each year from cirrhosis and liver cancer. And they are responsible for more than 95% of hepatitis deaths.
Die every 30 seconds
“Every 30 seconds, a person dies from hepatitis-related diseases, including liver failure, cirrhosis and cancer.
Furthermore, about 80% of people living with the disease cannot access or afford care.
With the goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030, the United Nations health agency has called on countries to achieve four specific goals.
It aims to reduce new hepatitis B and C infections by 90%; 65% reduction in hepatitis-related deaths from cirrhosis and cancer; ensure that at least 90% of people infected with hepatitis B and C viruses are diagnosed; and at least 80% of those eligible receive appropriate treatment.
“Low coverage of testing and treatment is the most important gap According to WHO.
Call to action
WHO is calling on all governments and partners to “scale up the use of effective tools” to combat the potentially deadly disease.
Tedros has drawn attention to a new WHO report showing how Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Mongolia, Rwanda, Thailand and the UK, are making progress towards eliminating inflammatory disease hepatitis B and C by applying the tools and guidelines of the United Nations health agency.
“With political commitment and investment, the eradication of viral hepatitis is within our reach,” he stated.
Highlights of July
The day aims to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, which causes inflammation of the liver that leads to serious illness and liver cancer.
It also provides an opportunity to strengthen national and international efforts on contagion, encouraging individuals, partners and the public to take action, while emphasizing the need for a global response. larger, as outlined in WHO. Global Hepatitis Report of 2017.
This year, WHO highlighted the importance of bringing hepatitis care closer to primary health facilities and communities for better access to treatment, regardless of the type of hepatitis.
July 28 was chosen because it is the birthday of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. this.
