The WHO on Tuesday, 9 April, flagged that the number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis is increasing with the disease being the second leading infectious cause of death globally.
The WHO 2024 Global Hepatitis Report said new data from 187 countries show that the estimated number of deaths increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022.
Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam collectively shoulder nearly two-thirds of the global burden of hepatitis B and C.
“Despite progress globally in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising because far too few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” said Director Dr Ghebreyesus.
Apart from talking about global progress and gaps in diagnosis and treatment, it also pointed out disparities in pricing and service delivery, and said, funding remains a challenge.
The report outlined a series of actions to advance a public health approach to viral hepatitis, designed to accelerate progress towards ending the epidemic by 2030.