World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2021: �Hepatitis Can't Wait'

Listen to this News

Highlights:

• Hepatitis - inflammation of the liver, is the most prevalent cause of severe liver diseases like cancer
• The most common hepatitis - B and C infections cost the life of 1.1 million people every year
• World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is dedicated on the 28th of July every year to educate the public about viral hepatitis
• The global 2021 theme for WHD marks the critical demand for hepatitis free world by 2030

World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is commemorated every year on the 28th of July with an aim to educate the public about viral hepatitis - a liver disease. The 2021 theme for the day is "Hepatitis can't wait", which dispatches the need for efforts to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver that produces severe liver disease like even liver cancer. Every 30 seconds, someone dies from a hepatitis-related illness. There are five different strains of the hepatitis virus - A, B, C, D, and E.

Among these, hepatitis B and C are the most prevalent strains that cost the life of 1.1 million deaths and 3 million new infections per year.

Types of Hepatitis

Hepatitis A

• Caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), that is spread through direct contact with an infectious person or ingestion of contaminated food and water.
• It causes mild to severe illness and has a good prognosis

Hepatitis B

• Caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) through direct contact with blood or other body fluids such as sharing needles, syringes, or sharp instruments, sex with an infected partner, or transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy.
• It causes acute to chronic liver infections

Hepatitis C

• Caused by a blood borne virus - the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is transmitted through blood exposure via unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products, and sexual practices.
• It may induce serious, lifelong illnesses ranging from acute and chronic hepatitis to even liver cancer.

Hepatitis D

• Requires hepatitis B virus (HBV) for its growth and thereby happens either simultaneously or as super-infection with HBV.
• The HBD virus is transmitted chiefly from mother to child during birth and delivery and through contact with infected blood or other body fluids.
• HDV-HBV co-infection is the most severe form of chronic viral hepatitis as it drives various fatal outcomes and liver carcinoma.

Hepatitis E

• Caused by a hepatitis E virus (HEV) and is transferred via the fecal-oral route, especially contaminated water.

Hepatitis Can't-Wait - The Global 2021 Theme

This communicates the emergency of this viral disease even in the current COVID-19 crisis that we can't wait to act on viral hepatitis. This includes:

• Testing and life-saving treatments among people living with viral hepatitis and expectant mothers can't wait
• Birth dose vaccination for hepatitis in newborn babies can't wait
• Ways to end stigma and discrimination for people affected by hepatitis can't wait
• Greater investment by community organizations for the diseases can't wait
• Political will and funding by decision-makers to make the elimination of hepatitis - a reality can't wait.

Together with global support, The World Hepatitis Alliance and its global network of over 300 members in nearly 100 countries are delighted to launch the 2021 World Hepatitis Day international campaign - �Hepatitis Can't Wait'.

The International Event

To mark the significance of WHD, a global talk show platform is entertained by WHO (World Health Organization) for expediting the stratagems to eradicate hepatitis by 2030.

‘World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is commemorated on the 28th of July annually to raise awareness on the impacts and burden of viral hepatitis � inflammation of the liver. The 2021 theme for the international day is �Hepatitis can�t wait�, the public health threat posed by hepatitis, and need to eliminate them by 2030. ’

Leaders, policymakers, communities, and other stakeholders from global, and regional areas arrive collectively to share their contributions and stories from varied perspectives.

The event aims at achieving a hepatitis-free future with this united effort against the public health threat.

The Historical Setup

World Hepatitis Day marks the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg (1925-2011) - the scientist who had discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967.

Two years later the first hepatitis B vaccine was developed by him that fetched him Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976. The first Hepatitis C Elimination Program in the world was lanced in 2015, through the partnership of CDC with the country of Georgia.

This additionally led to the designation of Georgia as the first-ever EASL International Liver Foundation Center of Excellence external icon in viral hepatitis elimination.

Key Messages from WHO

For Policymakers:

• Integration of viral hepatitis elimination with other health services can't wait.
• Funding hepatitis care can't wait.
• Triple elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis can't wait.
• Validating hepatitis elimination efforts in countries can't wait.
• Universal health coverage for all people with hepatitis can't wait. Starting now means saving lives.

Messages for National Leaders

• Setting national hepatitis elimination targets can't wait. A world without viral hepatitis by 2030 starts with your country.
• Caring for the most vulnerable people with hepatitis can't wait. Be it young children or people who inject drugs, some people are more exposed and at risk - their lives matter.
• Scaling up of essential hepatitis services can't wait.
• Engaging communities in hepatitis services can't wait.
• Decision-makers can't wait and must act now to make hepatitis elimination a reality through political will and funding.

Global Motive for World Hepatitis Day 2021

The international day formulates an opportunity for training the people about the burden of these viral liver infections and the means to contend with them.

CDC and the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia (NCDC) had conducted training and lanced the second nationwide hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and COVID-19 serosurvey in June 2021.

The serosurvey strives to furnish information on progress and on-going interventions towards the prevention and elimination of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in Georgia.

The CDC supports various other countries including Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Tanzania to reduce the strain of all types of viral hepatitis through surveillance, testing, care, treatment, and implementation of national control and elimination programs.

Immunization Strategic Framework of CDC

The CDC has also propelled the Global Immunization Strategic Framework 2021-2030 - a roadmap to accomplish advancement toward a hepatitis-free world. The framework assures that everyone is protected from vaccine-preventable, such as hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

The three core goals of the immunization program are:

• Prevent VPDs by strengthening immunization services.
• Detect VPDs by supporting and improving disease surveillance systems.
• Respond to and prepare for VPD outbreaks.

Facts on Hepatitis

• Nearly 1,100,000 deaths are occurring due to hepatitis B and C infections per year.
• The treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus infection is received by 9,400,000 people.
• Around 10% of people with chronic hepatitis B infection get their diagnosis and 22% receive treatment.
• Access to the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine is among 42 % of children globally.
• There are 10,000 new hepatitis B infection cases every year in America with 23,000 deaths.
• Hepatitis C infection contributes to 67,000 new infection cases and 84,000 deaths in America.

References:

1. World Hepatitis Day 2021 - Hepatitis can't wait - (https:www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/07/28/default-calendar/world-hepatitis-day-2021)
2. World Hepatitis Day 2021 Hepatitis - (https:www.worldhepatitisday.org/)
3. World Hepatitis Day 2021 - (https:www.emcdda.europa.eu/event/2021/07/world-hepatitis-day-2021_en)
4. World Hepatitis Day 2021 - (https:www.paho.org/en/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day-2021)
5. World Hepatitis Day - July 28th - (https:www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/awareness/worldhepday.htm)
6. World Hepatitis Day Campaign Launched - (https:www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/news/may-2021/world-hepatitis-day-campaign-launched)

Source: Medindia

Cite this Article ⇣⇡

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

• APA

  Karishma Abhishek. (2021, July 27). World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2021: �Hepatitis Can't Wait'. Medindia. Retrieved on Dec 23, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/world-hepatitis-day-whd-2021-hepatitis-cant-wait-202465-1.htm.

• MLA

  Karishma Abhishek. "World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2021: �Hepatitis Can't Wait'". Medindia. Dec 23, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/world-hepatitis-day-whd-2021-hepatitis-cant-wait-202465-1.htm>.

• Chicago

  Karishma Abhishek. "World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2021: �Hepatitis Can't Wait'". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/world-hepatitis-day-whd-2021-hepatitis-cant-wait-202465-1.htm. (accessed Dec 23, 2024).

• Harvard

  Karishma Abhishek. 2021. World Hepatitis Day (WHD) 2021: �Hepatitis Can't Wait'. Medindia, viewed Dec 23, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/world-hepatitis-day-whd-2021-hepatitis-cant-wait-202465-1.htm.