THE GLOBAL BURDEN OF HEPATITIS AND EFFORTS FOR ITS ERADICATION
Abstract
For the last 7 years, 28th July is being observed
as World Hepatitis Day (WHD) across the 194 member
states of W.H.O. to raise international awareness and
promote preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures
of hepatitis, which is affecting millions of individuals
globally and killing approximately 1.34 million each year.
This particular date was selected by W.H.O. in recognition
of contributions in the field of infectious disease
by 1976 Nobel Prize winner; Baruch Samuel Blumberg
(July 28, 1925 – April 5, 2011) who discovered Hepatitis
B Virus (1967) and later devised diagnostic tests and
vaccine for this deadly virus.
There is alarming contribution to global human
morbidity and mortality by hepatitis. An approximately
3.5% of world’s population (nearly 257 million individuals
including 65 million females of childbearing age) are
infected with HBV. About 0.884 million deaths in 2015
alone were reported by W.H.O. due to HBV infections.
Unfortunately, the situation is miserable for HCV infections
too. Globally, approximately 71 million individuals
are suffering from HCV infections and annual deaths
due to HCV related complications are about 0.4 million.
The scenario becomes even more worsen for injecting
drug abusers and according to Global Hepatitis Report
2017, 67% of global injecting drug abusers are having
HCV infections. The annual deaths due to hepatitis are
comparable with that of tuberculosis and higher than
that of HIV. According to this report, death rates due to
HIV, malaria and tuberculosis are declining but mortality
due to hepatitis is showing up-surge. All these statistics
hints towards an urgent robust response of global
community against hepatitis as a prime public health
hazard. After decades of interventional strategies, malaria,
HIV and TB are documenting a downward trend,
so global community needs high impact, cost effective
interventions to control the rising trend of hepatitis.
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