World Hepatitis Day, is celebrated every year on July 28, with the aims to promote global awareness regarding hepatitis, a group of infectious diseases that are known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, and promote prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Hepatitis affects hundreds of millions of people around the world, causes acute and chronic diseases, and kills an estimated 1.4 million people each year.

World Hepatitis Day is one of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) eight official World Health Campaigns, World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World TB Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day.

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What is the History of World Hepatitis Day?

The very first International Hepatitis C Awareness Day was coordinated by several Middle Eastern and European people that took place on October 1, 2004, but still, many patient groups are marked the “hepatitis day” at different data. For this reason, the World Federation against Hepatitis in 2008 in collaboration with patient groups May 19 for the first day of global hepatitis.

Following the adoption of a resolution in May 2010, World Hepatitis Day received worldwide support as the primary aim of national and international advocacy efforts, as well as the date was changed to 28 July.

The date 28 July was declared in honor of American physician and geneticist Baruch Samuel Blumberg, discoverer of hepatitis Virus B.

The resolution of the day states that “The World Hepatitis Day is celebrated with an aim to provide education and a better understanding of viral hepatitis as a public health problem as well as to promote the strengthening of prevention measures for the fight against this disease.”

The Day is recognized each year in several countries through events including free screenings, demonstrations, poster campaigns, concerts, talk shows, flash mobs and vaccination campaigns etc. Each year, WHO and the World Hepatitis Alliance publish a report depicting all the events in the world.

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What is the Theme of World Hepatitis Day?

The theme for World Hepatitis Day 2018 is “Test. Treat. Hepatitis.” On this day, WHO perform several activities and events that can aim to achieve the following objectives globally including;

• To support hepatitis testing, treatment, prevention, and care services, with a specific focus on promoting.
• To promote best practices as well as universal health coverage of hepatitis services.
• To improve funding and partnerships in the fight against viral hepatitis.

Top 10 Things to Know About Viral Hepatitis

There are most top 10 things you should know about viral hepatitis including;

• Viral hepatitis B and C are major health challenges.
• Viral hepatitis B and C are root causes of liver cancer.
• Timely testing and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C can save lives.
• Viral hepatitis causes debilitating diseases and also places a huge economic burden on families.
• Viral hepatitis is a significant killer due to a lack of global attention.
• Over the past 15 years, more and more people have been dying of viral hepatitis.
• At the same time, people are becoming newly infected with hepatitis.
• Hepatitis attacks the most vulnerable.
• Hepatitis can be prevented, diagnosed, treated and even cured.
• You can help eliminate hepatitis.

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