“Health is not just about what you’re eating. It’s also about what you’re thinking and saying. Let’s think and talk about hepatitis to protect our future.” World Hepatitis Day, observed on 28 July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis. This year’s theme is: It’s time for action. Hepatitis refers to a group of viral infections that cause inflammation of the liver, and it can lead to severe health issues such as chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer if left untreated. With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, we must accelerate action on better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes.
There are 5 main strains of the hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D, and E. Together, hepatitis B and C are the most common infections, resulting in 1.3 million deaths and 2.2 million new infections per year.
Despite better diagnosis and treatment tools and decreasing product prices, testing and treatment coverage rates have stalled.
Table of Contents
World Hepatitis Day 2024 History
1. Confirmation and Importance: – World Hepatitis Day was formally declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) to coincide with Dr. Baruch Blumberg’s birthday. Dr. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus and created the hepatitis B vaccine. The purpose of the day is to organise action against the disease and increase awareness of the global burden of hepatitis.
2. History and Promotion: – A class of viral illnesses known as hepatitis inflame the liver. Because hepatitis B and C can result in cirrhosis, liver cancer, and chronic liver disease, they are serious public health concerns. Millions of people worldwide are afflicted by the illness, which continues to be a serious global health concern even in the absence of vaccines and therapies.
3. Goals and Actions: Global efforts to raise public awareness of hepatitis prevention, symptoms, and treatment options are held in conjunction with World Hepatitis Day each year. The activities include health fairs, neighbourhood gatherings, educational lectures, and media campaigns.
4. Policy Advocacy: Another main goal of the day is to promote changes to policies that will enhance hepatitis treatment and prevention. This entails advocating for more financing, improved screening initiatives, and improved access to immunizations and treatments.
5. Global Reaction: Since its establishment, World Hepatitis Day has aided in raising awareness of the disease and promoting action against it on a global scale. The day provides a forum for activities focused on hepatitis prevention and eradication, as well as for increasing awareness and funding research.
Why should we celebrate World Hepatitis Day?
The reason why World Hepatitis Day is celebrated every year on July 28 goes back almost a century. On that date in 1925, Baruch S. Blumberg was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.C. Some years later, after serving in the U.S. Navy and then earning his medical degree from Columbia University, Dr. Blumberg became intrigued by parasitology. That led him to conduct research in Nigeria and, “it eventually led to the discovery of several new polymorphisms and, in due course, the hepatitis B virus.”
For his breakthrough discovery of hepatitis B, Dr. Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1976.
Many people don’t even know that they are going through with the disease as many people with hepatitis do not have any symptoms. The acute infection symptoms can appear anytime between 2 to 6 weeks after exposure to Hepatitis.
The acute hepatitis symptoms are fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-coloured stools, joint pain, and jaundice. On the other hand, chronic viral hepatitis could take decades to develop.
“Hope is the catalyst for progress. Your support fuels research that can lead to a cure for hepatitis.”
NGOs Working on Hepatitis
World Hepatitis Alliance-
WHA have put hepatitis on the global health agenda, through advocacy they made World Hepatitis Day an internationally recognised global health day, they had combating hepatitis included in the Sustainable Development Goals and in the United Nations political declaration on Universal Health Coverage and have championed putting civil society at the heart of the hepatitis response. They won’t rest until hepatitis is eliminated.
Additionally, they run international campaigns, build the capacity of civil society through events and webinars and deliver programmes that see the elimination of hepatitis by 2030.
Hepatitis B Foundation-
The Hepatitis B Foundation is a national nonprofit organisation dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. Their commitment includes funding focused research, promoting disease awareness, supporting immunisation and treatment initiatives, and serving as the primary source of information for patients and their families, the medical and scientific community, and the general public.
Organisations are dedicated to upholding evidence-based scientific discovery in a collaborative environment that prioritises integrity, teamwork, equity, respect, and inclusion of all community members.
The Coalition for Global Hepatitis Elimination
It is a nonprofit founded in 2019 as a program of The Task Force for Global Health. The Coalition pursues worldwide elimination of viral hepatitis by strengthening capacity at the local level, bringing together global partners to share knowledge, data, and experiences related to hepatitis prevention, testing, and care and treatment.
The Coalition also strengthens the evidence base to support countries with the greatest hepatitis burden by spearheading new research and developing novel technical assistance resources. Finally, the Coalition mobilises commitment to build awareness and urgency around the importance of hepatitis elimination from public and policy stakeholders.
How do NGOs Contribute on World Hepatitis Day?
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) take numerous important steps to aid in the hepatitis fight:
1. Awareness-Building: They raise public awareness about hepatitis prevention and treatment by promoting World Hepatitis Day and running educational initiatives.
2. Advocacy: NGOs collaborate with governments to prioritise hepatitis care and enhance access to vaccines and treatments. They also push for improved health policies and funding.
3. Assistance Services: They provide peer support, counselling, and access to healthcare services in underprivileged communities, as well as patient support.
4. Funding and Research: In order to enhance scientific understanding, NGOs work with research institutes to provide funding for studies on hepatitis treatments and vaccines.
5. Programs and Services: They carry out immunisation and screening campaigns, which aid in the early identification and defence against emerging illnesses.
6. Reducing Stigma: NGOs try to reduce stigma by educating the public.
Conclusion
In conclusion, your support is vital for the Hepatitis B Foundation to continue its impactful mission of finding a cure and improving the lives of those affected by hepatitis B. By contributing, you help fund essential research, advance educational and awareness programs, and support immunisation and treatment efforts.
Your generosity enables the Foundation to make significant strides in combating hepatitis B and ultimately enhance the health and well-being of individuals worldwide.
