World Hepatitis Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year on 28 July the world observes "World Hepatitis Day" to raise awareness about this deadly liver infection.

Important facts

• The theme for the year 2022 - “Bringing hepatitis care closer to you”.

• It aims to highlight the need to bring hepatitis care closer to primary health care facilities and communities, to ensure better access to treatment and care.

About Hepatitis

• Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. It is an infectious disease caused by hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E.

• The other causes of the disease are medicines, toxins, drugs, and alcohol.

• Hepatitis is the only communicable disease with increasing mortality.

Treatment

• Hepatitis A and E are limited types of disease (i.e. they go away on their own) and do not require any specific antiviral medications.

• Effective drugs are available for hepatitis B and C.

Effect of  Hepatitis

• Southeast Asia accounts for 20% of the global morbidity burden of hepatitis.

• About 95% of all hepatitis-related deaths are due to cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses.

• Viral hepatitis, caused by the hepatitis virus, remains a major public health problem in India.

• A global target has been set to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

• An Integrated Regional Action Plan for Viral Hepatitis, HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) 2022-2026 is being developed by WHO.