World Hepatitis Day will be observed today across the globe including Pakistan to raise awareness and promote global action on viral hepatitis. One way of preventing hepatitis is to get a vaccine against the disease before travelling
Organizations such as the United Nations and the World Hepatitis Alliance work with individuals and community groups to promote awareness raising campaigns worldwide about hepatitis.
Information about World Hepatitis Day is usually distributed via social media, newspapers, posters, and through the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver and can be caused by different things. One of the most common causes of chronic (long-term) hepatitis is viral infection.
This year’s theme, “Bringing hepatitis care closer to you”, aims to raise awareness about the need to simplify and bring hepatitis care to primary health facilities, community-based venues and locations beyond hospital sites, so that care is closer to communities and people wherever they are.
The new Global Health Sector Strategies on, respectively, HIV, viral hepatitis and transmitted infections for the period 2022-2030 emphasizes the importance of person-centered care and alignment of systems and integration of services to reach the goal of elimination by 2030.
To achieve hepatitis elimination at least 60% of people living with hepatitis B and C must be diagnosed and at least 50% eligible for treatment must be cured (hepatitis C) or receiving treatment (hepatitis B) by 2025.
According to the World Hepatitis Alliance, about 500 million people are currently infected with chronic hepatitis B or C and 1 in 3 people have been exposed to one or both viruses.
The World Hepatitis Alliance first launched World Hepatitis Day in 2008.
Following on, the UN declared official recognition of this event in 2010.
