Marking World Hepatitis Day 2015, which falls on 28 July in honour of the birthday of the scientist who discovered the hepatitis B virus and its first vaccine, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners are urging policy-makers, health workers and the public to act now to prevent infection and death from the infectious disease.<\/p>\n
The theme for this year’s Day Prevent Hepatitis: Act Now focuses on hepatitis B and C, which together cause approximately 80 per cent of all liver cancer deaths and kill close to 1.4 million people every year.<\/p>\n
WHO has announced a new Global \u00fd Injection Safety Initiative in three pilot countries — Egypt, Uganda and India \u2013 to combat what the UN health agency calls the \u201csilent epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this year, WHO’s flagship event takes place in Egypt, a country that has one of the world’s highest hepatitis burdens.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Yury Fedotov, said hepatitis is preventable and \u201csome forms are curable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite this truth, the disease continues to spread and is responsible for the deaths and suffering of millions around the world,\u201d Mr. Fedotov said in a statement on the Day that some 6.3 million people, or every second person who injects drugs, are living with hepatitis C.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn World Hepatitis Day, UNODC stresses that it will continue to work closely with its partners, including civil society, to do everything possible to prevent the spread of hepatitis C among people who use drugs and those living in prisons,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to WHO, viral hepatitis \u2013 a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E \u2013 affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, causing acute and chronic liver disease and killing close to 1.5 million people every year, mostly from hepatitis B and C. These infections can be prevented, but most people don’t know how.<\/p>\n
Key messages of World Hepatitis Day 2015, include:<\/p>\n
Prevent hepatitis \u2013 know the risks
\nUnsafe blood, unsafe injections, and sharing drug-injection equipment can all result in hepatitis infection.<\/p>\n
Prevent hepatitis \u2013 demand safe injections
\nTwo million people a year contract hepatitis from unsafe injections. Using sterile, single-use syringes can prevent these infections.<\/p>\n
Prevent hepatitis \u2013 vaccinate children
\nApproximately 780 000 persons die each year from hepatitis B infection. A safe and effective vaccine can protect from hepatitis B infection for life.<\/p>\n
Prevent hepatitis \u2013 get tested, seek treatment
\nEffective medicines exist to treat hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C.<\/p>\n
The date of 28 July was chosen for World Hepatitis Day in honour of the birthday of Nobel Laureate Professor Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus and developer of the first hepatitis B vaccine.<\/p>\n