Hepatitis Epidemic: New Infections and Deaths on the Rise, Despite WHO’s Elimination Efforts

A recent World Health Organization report has shed light on the concerning situation of viral hepatitis, with more than 6,000 people being infected each day. The disease has seen little progress in its fight, as the WHO’s target of reducing new infections by 90% and deaths by 65% by 2030 is not being met. The analysis presented at the World Hepatitis Summit in Lisbon examined the burden of viral hepatitis in 187 countries and evaluated the world’s advancement towards eliminating the disease.

Hepatitis can be caused by a variety of factors, including heavy alcohol consumption, certain medications, or a virus that results in liver inflammation, jaundice, fever, and other symptoms. There are five main virus strains, some of which can be prevented through vaccination. However, deaths from viral hepatitis are on the rise, with hepatitis B and C being the strains that lead to long-term disease. In 2022 alone, there were 1.3 million deaths from viral hepatitis, up from 1.1 million in 2019.

The majority of the global burden of viral hepatitis falls on just 10 countries, including China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan