Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E can cause acute and chronic infection and inflammation of the liver that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. 25 July 2012 – World Hepatitis Day will be celebrated globally on 28 July 2013 under the slogan of: “This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it”. The campaign emphasizes the fact that hepatitis remains largely unknown as a health threat in much of the world.

Viral hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases causing inflammation of the liver. There are five main types of hepatitis virus – A, B, C, D and E – which affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. This year, World Hepatitis Day focuses on raising awareness of these different forms of hepatitis, how they are transmitted, who is at risk and the various methods of prevention and treatment.

Approximately 1 million people die each year from related complications, most commonly from liver diseases, including liver cancer. In the Region, approximately 17 million people are living with hepatitis C virus infection and approximately 4.3 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus every year.