Monday, July 28, 2025
Geneva, 28 July 2025 (WHO) – As we mark World Hepatitis Day, WHO highlights the urgent need to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reduce liver cancer deaths. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that every 30 seconds, someone dies from hepatitis-related severe liver disease or liver cancer, underscoring the critical need for rapid action. Viral hepatitis, including types A, B, C, D, and E, are significant causes of acute liver infections. Among these, hepatitis B, C, and D lead to chronic infections, increasing the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. However, many infected individuals do not recognize their condition. Hepatitis D, which only affects those infected with hepatitis B, has a two to six-fold higher risk of liver cancer compared to hepatitis B alone. The IARC classified hepatitis D as carcinogenic to humans, marking a crucial step in awareness, screening, and treatment efforts. Dr. Meg Doherty noted WHO’s 2024 guidelines on testing and diagnosis for Hepatitis B and D and their ongoing efforts to monitor clinical outcomes. Treatment options for hepatitis C are improving, but full benefits from reducing liver cirrhosis and cancer deaths require urgent scaling up of hepatitis services, including vaccination, testing, harm reduction, and treatment. The Global Hepatitis Report highlights that while LMICs have strategic plans, integration of hepatitis services remains uneven: 80 countries incorporate hepatitis services into primary health care, 128 into HIV programs, but just 27 integrate hepatitis C services into harm reduction centers.
Reference: WHO urges action on hepatitis, announcing hepatitis D as carcinogenicLabels: PAHO
0 Comments