World Hepatitis Day 2024: What You Need to Know

Introduction

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are five main strains of the Hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D and E. Together, Hepatitis B and C are known to be the most common death-causing ones.

Globally, 354 million people are living with viral Hepatitis B and C.  There are approximately 1.2 million new infections of Hepatitis B each year, and it causes an estimated 1.1 million deaths every year. While there are 1.0 million new infections of Hepatitis C occurring every year, and thousands of people die because of it. Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, viral Hepatitis took thousands of lives globally every day.

WHO calls on all countries to work together to eliminate viral Hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. Learn more about World Hepatitis Day, its awareness, history, significance, and 2024 theme.

When is World Hepatitis Day?

World Hepatitis Day is recognised annually on the 28th of July. The date was chosen to honour the birthday of Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus and developed the Hepatitis B vaccine. It is set aside to provide global awareness about the importance of knowing about Hepatitis and to engross the world to take preventative measures. It also makes sure that safe and satisfactory treatment is offered for those who are suffering from this condition. World Hepatitis day is one of the WHO’s official public health campaigns.

History of World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day was recognised in 2008 to draw attention to this disease, its treatment and prevention globally. In 2010, the World Health Assembly presented the official document defining 28 July as World Hepatitis Day after observing the worldwide prevalence of viral Hepatitis. The chosen day happens to be the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg who discovered Hepatitis B virus and developed a vaccine against this virus. For his efforts in Hepatitis research, he was awarded the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Therefore, World Hepatitis Day has been celebrated since that year in conjunction with an ever-growing number of countries and communities.  Various events and campaigns are held every year on this day to educate people, perform free or inexpensive testing, and promote proper vaccination. The first event took place at the International Scientific Conference in Moscow. Since then, many countries have hosted and participated in various activities to spread awareness about this disease.

In this way, World Hepatitis Day has become one of the significant days throughout the year promoting collaborative efforts to eliminate the condition or at least decrease its impact on people.

Significance of World Hepatitis Day

World Hepatitis Day is important as an ‘awareness-raising’ day, in the worldwide call for the raising of awareness on viral Hepatitis. It is a day for different communities, as well as people and policymakers, to learn about the different types of Hepatitis, as well as information on prevention, testing and treatment. It encourages communities worldwide to come forward to stop the growing number of Hepatitis cases and deaths. Through World Hepatitis Day, the need for increasing global vaccination, early diagnosis and access to higher quality of care is highlighted, in ensuring that the WHO target of elimination of viral Hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 is achieved.

World Hepatitis Day 2024 Theme

In 2024, World Hepatitis Day’s theme is “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”. This year’s theme emphasises that we need to focus even more on accelerated efforts in testing, treating, and preventing Hepatitis infection. The theme calls for immediate action to save lives, reduce new infections, and improve access to care. It highlights the following key messages:

1. Testing and diagnosis to be made as soon as possible: Many people worldwide have Hepatitis and are not aware of it. It is essential to be able to identify it right after so the liver is not that much affected and the infection is transmitted to others.
2. Timely access to treatment: With advancements in medical treatments, Hepatitis B and C are now manageable and even curable. Streamline testing and treatment can reduce the risk of complications. Thanks to medicine advancement, there are ways to reduce mortality from Hepatitis C and treat 98% of Hepatitis B patients.
3. Prevention can be done through vaccination: Hepatitis B and A vaccines are safe, effective, and widely available. It is essential that vaccination coverage is expanded so that the number of new Hepatitis cases decreases.

How can you protect yourself from Hepatitis?

Hepatitis A and C are curable strains of Hepatitis. Hepatitis B, D and E are not curable, but these can be managed effectively with antiviral medications. It is best to implement safe practices to prevent these strains. Here are the best preventive measures for Hepatitis:

• The best way to prevent both Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B is vaccination.
• Good hygiene is also important. It is necessary to wash hands regularly with soap and water.
• Sharing needles, razors, toothbrushes, or any other items potentially contaminated with blood or bodily fluids should be absolutely forbidden.
• In the case of sexual intercourse, a barrier protection method, such as condom use, should be used. 
• Scan the blood samples for Hepatitis A and B before blood transfusion. 
• Food and water should be consumed with care, especially in low sanitation areas. 
• If you are considering getting a tattoo or piercing, you should also ensure that all needles and equipment are sterilized. 
• If you work in a hospital or clinic and need to handle blood or human bodily fluids, always follow applicable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other procedures to prevent accidental exposure. 
• If someone is at high risk, for example, they have a history of chronic liver disease or they were in close contact with a Hepatitis-infected person, they should get themselves tested regularly. 
• Vaccination after exposure to Hepatitis B for prophylaxis is encouraged.
• Keep your alcohol intake within limits and consume a healthy, balanced diet for a healthy liver.

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