World Hepatitis Day: Only one in 100 patients gets treatment

An estimated 1.45 million people died of the disease in 2013 – up from less than a million in 1990

GN Bureau | July 28, 2016


#World Health Organisation   #WHO   #Hepatitis   #Health  


 Only one in 20 people with viral hepatitis are aware that they are suffering from the disease. One in 100 suffering people are being treated. On World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries across the globe to take action in spreading awareness about the disease and increase the access to testing and treatment services.

"The world has ignored hepatitis at its peril,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO director-general. “It is time to mobilise a global response to hepatitis on the scale similar to that generated to fight other communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.”
 
Around the world 400 million people are infected with hepatitis B and C. This is 10 times the number of people living with HIV. An estimated 1.45 million people died of the disease in 2013 – up from less than a million in 1990.
 



In May 2016 at the World Health Assembly, 194 governments adopted the first-ever Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis and agreed to the first-ever global targets. The strategy includes a target to treat 8 million people for hepatitis B or C by 2020.
 
Hepatitis is fully preventable and treatable: there are effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B, and over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be cured with treatment.
 
Quick Facts:
 
  • Viral hepatitis affects 400 million people globally.
     
  • Every year 6–10 million people are newly infected.
     
  • An estimated 95% of people with hepatitis do not know there are infected.
     
  • Over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be completely cured within 3–6 months.
     
  • Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
     
  • The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
     
  • An estimated 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positive for at least 6 months).
     
  • More than 686 000 people die every year due to complications of hepatitis B, including cirrhosis and liver cancer 1.
 

Comments

 

Other News

“I wrote ‘Survival at Stake’ to provide food for thought about solutions”

Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence By Poorva Joshipura HarperCollins, 328 pages, Rs 499 With science now recognising animal consciousness, intelligence, emotion, and even morality, there must rise an awareness of

‘Bon Voyage’ through the Arctic: Exploring new horizons for India

India`s tryst with trade through the Arctic regions, including the Northern Sea Routes (NSR), has become an impact-making endeavor recently. The Arctic of yore is now a pivot – point of geopolitics, of climate change discussions, and for economic opportunities; 40% of oil and gas reserves said to be

Demystifying Contemporary Finance Theory and other lessons in investment

Investing Decoded: Simple Path To Building A Portfolio In Millions By Anirudh Rathore Penguin India, 320 pages, Rs 499

Deepfake: India to prepare four-point action plan

Deepfake has emerged as a serious threat to democracy and social institutions across the world. Propagation of deepfake content via social media platforms has aggravated this challenge. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has, from time to time, advised social media in

Mumbai traffic: Let’s use some simple math

Two level of roads not enough, BMC to have triple traffic jams through underground junctions There is no shortage of short-sighted traffic experts who believe that creating more vertical space (either above or below the level) in already overcrowded and congested cities will be cou

Seizures worth Rs. 1,760 crore reported in five poll-bound states

The Election Commission of India’s persistent efforts have led to a significant and exponential increase in seizures in the five poll-going states of Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Telangana. Seizures over Rs 1,760 crore have been reported in these five states since the announce

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter