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World Hepatitis Day 2024 – 28th July
30 July 2024 - by Matt Stanfield
World Hepatitis Day 2024

28th July marks World Hepatitis Day 2024. The focus of this event is particularly on the infectious strains of hepatitis (viral hepatitis) There are five strains of hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E. All of these cause inflammation of the liver, or worse. Hepatitis B and C are the most deadly variants. This is because those are the variants leading to chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

World Hepatitis Day - Importance of TestingWhilst there isn’t a cure for Hepatitis B or C once an infection has begun; testing is quick and straightforward. Early detection of either of those two strains of hepatitis allows for treatment. Starting treatment early is crucially important, since it reduces the risk of liver cancer due to infection. Hence the importance of a far larger proportion than 1 in 6 people who have hepatitis finding out their status.

Considering that the liver is massively important to overall wellbeing – performing a staggering 500 or so functions every day; any issues with it will have severe knock-on effects. The severity of hepatitis is powerfully illustrated by the worldwide daily death toll of almost 3,000 people due to hepatitis-induced illness.

How is Hepatitis Transmitted?

Hepatitis B and C are both bloodborne viruses, though they can also be spread through unprotected sex. Childbirth can, without any appropriate medical intervention, be a risky time for a newborn baby if their mother has hepatitis. Exposure to the mother’s blood can lead to transmission. At this point, it should be mentioned that there is a vaccine available against Hepatitis B. If newborn babies receive this vaccination shortly after birth, they will be protected against infection in early life. Because Hepatitis B is more likely to develop into a chronic and fatal infection if it is contracted in childhood rather than adulthood, this is doubly important.

According to the World Health Organization, only 45% of babies globally received the Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth in 2022 (the latest year for which figures are available) The higher that vaccination rate becomes, the fewer deaths from this disease there will be in future.

What Needs to Be Done?

As this post hopefully shows, awareness of hepatitis must increase. More than one in thirty people alive today have chronic Hepatitis B or C. But most people with these infectious and deadly diseases simply aren’t aware of that fact. Better awareness should mean more testing. More testing means better treatment. Better treatment means fewer lives lost to hepatitis.

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