World Hepatitis Day 2024: A Call to Action
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | World Hepatitis Day |
| Date | July 28th (Annually) |
| 2024 Theme | "It's Time for Action" |
| Objective | Raise awareness about viral hepatitis and promote action to combat the disease globally. |
| Global Impact | - A person dies every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness. |
| - Hepatitis B and C cause 1.3 million deaths and 2.2 million new infections annually. | |
| Main Strains | Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E |
| Focus Strains | Hepatitis B and C (most impactful) |
| Elimination Goal | WHO aims for hepatitis elimination by 2030. |
| Prevention Strategies | - Vaccination (Hepatitis A and B) |
| - Safe injection practices | |
| - Blood screening | |
| - Safe sexual practices | |
| - Hygienic food and water practices | |
| - Hand hygiene | |
| - Personal item safety | |
| - Safe tattoo and piercing practices | |
| - Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin | |
| - Education and awareness campaigns | |
| Healthcare System Role | - Improve diagnostics (e.g., point-of-care viral load testing) |
| - Identify hepatitis D through established testing protocols | |
| - Provide high-quality services |