World Hepatitis Day: 17 million people are living today with hepatitis C in the Eastern ...

Cairo, 25 July 2012. On Saturday, 28 July, the second World Hepatitis Day will be observed across the world with new information highlighting the seriousness of this disease and its widespread distribution regionally and globally. Research and studies undertaken by the world Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with its Member States and other partners show that hepatitis can be acute or chronic and may result in serious complications and even death. Viral hepatitis affects 1 in every 12 people worldwide. It affects those close to them too. Around 500 million people worldwide are chronically infected with two types of blood-borne hepatitis: hepatitis B and C. Approximately 1 million people die each year from related complications, most commonly from liver diseases including liver cancer. All types of viral hepatitis occur throughout the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Some countries in the Region have higher infection rates for hepatitis C and hepatitis E than any other country in the world. In this Region approximately 17 million people are living today with hepatitis C infection, and approximately 4.3 million people are infected with hepatitis B infection every year. In light of the alarming figures worldwide, in 2010 Ministers of Health at the World Health Assembly decided to designate 28 July every year as World Hepatitis Day, thus creating an opportunity to raise public awareness about viral hepatitis and focus attention on what can be done for its prevention and con...
Source: WHO EMRO - Press releases - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news