Treatment of viral hepatitis

Hepatitis will kill more people than malaria, tuberculosis and HIV combined by 2040, according to the World Health Organization

September 4, 2023 at 1:11 pm

On World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for expanded testing and treatment of viral hepatitis, warning that if current infection trends continue, the disease will kill more people than malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases by 2040. and HIV combined. Hepatitis can lead to liver damage and cancer, and kills more than one million people each year. Of the five types of hepatitis, hepatitis B and C cause the most disease and death. Hepatitis C is curable; however, only 21% of people with hepatitis C infection are diagnosed and only 13% receive curative treatment. Only 10% of people with chronic hepatitis B are diagnosed, and only 2% of those infected receive life-saving medicines.

world hepatitis day

under Motto “One life, one liver”The World Health Organization has launched World Hepatitis Day to emphasize the importance of protecting the liver from this disease for a long and healthy life. So they focus on the fact that good liver health also benefits other vital organs, such as the heart, brain and kidneys, which depend on the liver for their function.”While we have better tools than ever to prevent, diagnose and treat hepatitis, millions of people around the world still live with undiagnosed and untreated hepatitis,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO remains committed to supporting countries in expanding access to these tools, including increasingly cost-effective treatments, to Save lives and end hepatitis’, he noted. WHO will share new guidance to track countries’ progress towards eliminating hepatitis by 2030. To reduce new infections and deaths from hepatitis B and C, countries must: Pregnant women with hepatitis get treatment, babies are born with the B vaccine, 90% of those diagnosed with hepatitis B and/or C are diagnosed, and 80% of those diagnosed with hepatitis are treated. They must also act to ensure the most Optimal blood transfusion, safe injections and harm reduction.

Vaccination, testing and treatment: opportunities to protect the liver from hepatitis

Reduction of childhood hepatitis B infection through vaccination is a key intervention to limit viral hepatitis infection overall.Hepatitis B incidence target is the only health target in our country Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) This goal was achieved in 2020 and is expected to be achieved in 2030. However, many African countries do not have access to a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, recently relaunched its 2018 Vaccine Investment Strategy, which includes a birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine and will boost newborn vaccination programs in West and Central Africa, regions where rates of maternal and infant hepatitis B transmission remain high. very high. To help eliminate mother-to-child transmission, WHO recommends: All pregnant women are tested for hepatitis B during pregnancy. If the test is positive, the newborn should be treated and vaccinated. However, only 32 of the 64 countries with policies in place reported hepatitis B screening and treatment activities in antenatal clinics, according to a new World Health Organization report. The report also showed that of the 103 countries reporting, 80% had a policy to test and treat hepatitis B in HIV clinics, and 65% had the same policy for hepatitis C. Increasing testing and hepatitis treatment in HIV programs will protect HIV-infected people from developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. After years of increasing treatment rates, growth in the number of people receiving curative treatment for hepatitis C is slowing. The World Health Organization advocates taking advantage of falling drug prices to accelerate the expansion of treatment.
In low-income countries, 12 weeks of treatment to cure hepatitis C now cost US$ 60 (€54.6) compared to an initial cost of more than US$ 90,000 (€82,004)

when it was first introduced in high-income countries. Hepatitis B treatment costs less than $30 per year ($2.4 per month). For people who want to keep their livers healthy, WHO recommends hepatitis screening, treatment if diagnosed, and hepatitis B vaccination. Cutting down on alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing diabetes or high blood pressure can also support liver health.