World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is annually observed across the globe on 28 July to raise awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver causing severe liver disease and cancer.
- The day offers a platform for advocacy, education and engagement with governments, health professionals and the public to drive awareness and action to eliminate viral hepatitis.
- The annual observance is led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Theme:
The 2024 theme for World Hepatitis Day is, ‘It’s time for action.’
- The sub-theme of WHD 2024 is, “Global hepatitis response: Closing the gap toward the 2030 elimination goals“.
- With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, the 2024 theme underscores the urgency of accelerating action on better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes.
History of WHD:
i.In 2008, the World Hepatitis Alliance coordinated with different patient groups and declared May 19 the first global World Hepatitis Day.
ii.The 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA) held in May 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland adopted various resolutions including WHA63.18 on viral hepatitis, designating 28 July of every year as WHD.
iii.The 1st WHO recognised World Hepatitis Day was observed on 28th July 2011.
Why 28 July?
i.The date 28 July was chosen to honour the birth anniversary of the American scientist and geneticist Dr. Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in 1967.
ii.In 1969, Dr. Blumberg and Dr. Irving Millman, an American virologist, and immunologist, invented the first hepatitis B vaccine, which was initially a heat-treated form of the virus.
iii.Dr. Blumberg and D. Carleton Gajdusek, a American medical researcher, jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976 “for their discoveries concerning new mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious diseases.”
What is Hepatitis?
i.Hepatitis is a liver inflammation caused by various infectious viruses and noninfectious agents.
ii.There are 5 main types of hepatitis virus: A, B, C, D, and E, with Types B and C particularly leading to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people.
iii.Together they are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and viral hepatitis-related deaths.
iv.An estimated 354 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B or C. Together, they result in 1.3 million deaths and 2.2 million new infections annually.
WHO’s 2024 Report on Hepatitis:
i.The WHO has released its first consolidated report, Global Hepatitis Report 2024: Action for Access in low- and middle-income countries, on viral hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage, and product access.
- The report provides updated data for effective action against viral hepatitis services from 187 countries worldwide.
ii.The report also updates progress made since 2019 in improving access to health products for both hepatitis B and C in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Key Facts:
According to the 2024 report:
i.In 2022, an estimated 304 million people worldwide were living with chronic hepatitis B or C.
ii.Viral hepatitis is the 2nd leading infectious cause of death globally, with 1.3 million people dying of chronic hepatitis B and C in 2022.
- 83% of these deaths are caused by hepatitis B and 17% by hepatitis C.
iii.In the WHO European Region, approximately 10.6 million people live with hepatitis B and 8.6 million with hepatitis C in 2022.
- Hepatitis B and C account for an estimated 53,000 deaths.
iv.Only 45% of babies received the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth in 2022.
Efforts of WHO:
i.The WHO’s global hepatitis strategy, endorsed by all WHO Member States, aims to reduce new hepatitis infections by 90% and deaths by 65% between 2016 and 2030.
ii.The WHO’s integrated Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), viral hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) reaffirm the ambitious targets set in 2016.
- It outlines global targets for 2025 and 2030 and the GHSS on viral hepatitis calls for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
2024 Events:
i.On 25 July 2024, the WHO/Europe hosted a webinar focusing on the new recommendations for hepatitis B.
ii.On 29 July 2024, the WHO organised a global webinar, highlighting the need for renewed progress and action toward viral hepatitis elimination by 2030.
- The webinar featured high-level international and national leaders with the participation of Ministers of Health, national program managers and policymakers, the United Nations (UN) organizations, etc.
Hepatitis in India:
As per the 2023 HIV Sentinel Surveillance Plus report, the national seroprevalence for hepatitis B and hepatitis C was found to be 0.85% (Low prevalence category) and 0.29% respectively.
National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP):
i.The NVHCP launched in 2018 under the National Health Mission (NHM) aims to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030 and reduce morbidity and mortality from viral hepatitis.
ii.Under the program, free diagnostics and drugs are being made available to all eligible, not only for treating hepatitis C but also for managing hepatitis B.
Program Implementation:
i.The program through the NHM has formulated strategies utilizing the existing resources in health systems.
ii.The treatment services are delivered through designated treatment sites located within existing health facilities.
iii.Referral centers named Model Treatment Centers (MTC) located in Tertiary-level healthcare facilities act as referral units for managing complicated cases.
iv.The program is shifting towards a paperless data recording and reporting system through the NVHCP Management Information System (NVHCP-MIS) portal for efficient monitoring and evaluation.
- A helpline has also been established for awareness and service information.
About the World Health Organisation (WHO):
The WHO was established on 7 April 1948
Director General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
