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WHO Global Hepatitis Report , 2017 Geneva , Switzerland
Coinciding with the ILC , on 21 April the World Health Organization launched the first-ever Global Hepatitis Report . The report contains new baseline data on the impact of viral hepatitis , both regionally and globally , and aims to standardise understanding of the disease ; an essential starting point to measure progress towards achieving the 2030 elimination goal .
The Global Hepatitis Report shows definitively , for the first-time that :
• Viral hepatitis causes 1.34 million deaths ( a number comparable to annual deaths caused by tuberculosis , HIV and malaria ).
• 325 million people live with viral hepatitis ( approximately 4.4 % of the world ’ s population ).
• Only 9 % of persons living with hepatitis B and 20 % of persons living with hepatitis C have been tested and are aware of their status .
• Unsafe healthcare procedures and injection drug use are the leading causes of new hepatitis C infections , accounting for the majority of the 1.75 million new infections .
The report also shows that since 2000 , deaths due to viral hepatitis increased by 22 %, while deaths due to other diseases such as tuberculosis , malaria , and HIV have been declining . The report therefore makes a clear call to action : If we are to reverse this trend , specific and urgent actions must be adopted at both a regional and national level .
Read the WHO ’ s Global Hepatitis Report , 2017 here 6 hepVoice April 2017