World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day 2020: Facts, significance, theme, causes and more

According to WHO, ‘325 million people are living with viral hepatitis B and C globally’. A total of 9 lakh people die every year due to hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can cause a series of health problems often leading to death.

World Hepatitis Day is observed every year on July 28 across the globe. There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis B and C combined are the most common cause of deaths, accounting to 1.3 million lives lost each year. It is alarming to know that only 10 % of people living with hepatitis B and 19% living with hepatitis C know the status of their Hepatitis as mentioned by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Causes of Hepatitis

Hepatitis A and E are mostly caused by the intake of contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur after coming in contact with infected blood and body fluids.

According to one of the studies conducted by WHO, an estimated 4.5 million premature deaths can be prevented in low- and middle-income countries by 2030 by vaccination, diagnostic tests, medicines and education campaigns. WHO’s global hepatitis strategy, ratified by all WHO member states, aims at reducing new hepatitis infections by 90% and deaths by 65% between 2016 and 2030.

World Hepatitis Day 2020 theme

The theme of World Hepatitis Day 2020 is ‘Hepatitis-free future,’ with a strong focus on preventing hepatitis B among mothers and new-borns. Last year, the theme of World Hepatitis Day was ‘Invest in eliminating hepatitis’.

Hepatitis key facts

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused due to hepatitis C virus (HCV): the virus is capable of causing both acute and chronic hepatitis, varying in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifetime illness. Hepatitis C is a major cause of liver cancer.

Hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne virus: It is mostly caused by getting infected through exposure to small quantities of blood. Reasons such as injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, and sexual practices often leading to exposure to blood.

An estimated 71 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection globally.

Most of those who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer.

WHO estimated that in 2016, approximately 4 lakh people died of hepatitis C, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).

Antiviral medicines are capable of curing more than 95% of persons with hepatitis C infection, therefore reducing the risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer, but access to diagnosis and treatment remains low.

Till now, no effective vaccine against hepatitis C has been made; nevertheless, research is being carried out.

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