"Global health"Viral hepatitis claims the lives of 1.3 million people annually
The World Health Organization revealed, in a report issued today, Tuesday, that hepatitis C viruses are still killing 3,500 people every day, a number that is rising, calling for “rapid action.”
New data from 187 countries showed that the estimated number of deaths resulting from viral hepatitis rose from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022, according to this report issued at the World Summit on Hepatitis. Meg Doherty, Director of the Department of HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Diseases at the World Health Organization, considered these “worrying trends.”
In general, every person dying About 3,500 people worldwide are infected with hepatitis, 83% of whom are due to hepatitis B, and 17% due to hepatitis C, according to Agence France-Presse. Updated World Health Organization estimates indicate that 254 million people were infected with hepatitis B, and another 50 million were infected with hepatitis C. In 2022.
In all regions, only 3% of people infected with hepatitis B Chronic infections were on antiviral therapy by the end of 2022. For hepatitis C, 20% received treatment. Meg Doherty emphasized that these “results are still very far from the global goals of treating 80% of people with chronic hepatitis B.” And hepatitis C By 2030.”
However, the latest data indicate a slight improvement compared to 2019 numbers. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that “it is Despite progress made worldwide in prevention, the number of deaths is increasing because too few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” according to AFP.
Africa records 63% of new infections with hepatitis B virus, but only 18% of newborns in the region receive a dose of hepatitis B vaccine. At birth. Despite the availability of affordable generic medicines against viral hepatitis, many countries are unable to obtain them, according to the World Health Organization, which calls for “rapid measures” to be taken. To reverse this trend, such as expanding access to testing and diagnostics.
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