Geneva. On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging for the expansion of testing and treatment for viral hepatitis, warning that if current infection trends persist, the disease could claim more lives than malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined by 2040.
Hepatitis is a deadly disease, causing liver damage and cancer, and leading to over one million deaths each year. Among the five types of hepatitis infections, hepatitis B and C are responsible for the majority of the cases and fatalities. Although hepatitis C can be cured, only 21% of those infected are diagnosed, and a mere 13% receive curative treatment. As for chronic hepatitis B, only 10% of the affected population is diagnosed, and merely 2% receive life-saving medication.
Under the theme “One Life, One Liver,” WHO’s World Hepatitis Day campaign emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the liver against hepatitis to ensure a long and healthy life. Optimal liver health also has a positive impact on other vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, as they rely on the liver’s proper functioning.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated, “Millions of people are living with undiagnosed and untreated hepatitis worldwide, even though we have better tools than ever to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. WHO remains committed to supporting countries in expanding the use of these tools, including increasingly cost-effective curative medication, to save lives and put an end to hepatitis.”
In its efforts to track countries’ progress towards hepatitis elimination by 2030, WHO will share new guidance. To reduce new infections and deaths from hepatitis B and C, countries must ensure access to treatment for all pregnant women living with hepatitis B, provide hepatitis B vaccines to newborns, diagnose 90% of people living with hepatitis B and/or C, and treat 80% of those diagnosed. They must also take measures to ensure optimal blood transfusion, safe injections, and harm reduction practices.
Vaccination, testing, and treatment play crucial roles in protecting the liver from hepatitis. The reduction of hepatitis B infections in children through vaccination is a vital intervention to limit overall viral hepatitis cases. Fortunately, the target for hepatitis B incidence is the only Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDG) health target met in 2020 and remains on track for 2030. However, some countries in Africa lack access to birth dose hepatitis B vaccines. Gavi’s recent restart of its Vaccine Investment Strategy 2018, which includes the birth dose hepatitis B vaccine, will revive newborn vaccination programs in west and central Africa, where mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission rates remain high.
WHO recommends that all pregnant women undergo testing for hepatitis B during their pregnancy to help eliminate mother-to-child transmission. Positive cases should receive treatment, and vaccines should be administered to their newborns. However, a new WHO report reveals that only 32 out of 64 countries with policies reported implementing activities to screen for and manage hepatitis B in antenatal clinics.
The report also shows that 80% of the 103 countries surveyed have policies for screening and managing hepatitis B in HIV clinics, with 65% doing the same for hepatitis C. Expanding hepatitis testing and treatment within HIV programs will protect people living with HIV from developing liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.
While treatment rates for hepatitis C had been increasing in the past, the growth in the number of people accessing curative treatment is now slowing down. WHO urges taking advantage of medication price reductions to accelerate progress in expanding treatment. A 12-week course of medication to cure hepatitis C now costs $60 in low-income countries, down from the original cost of over $90,000 when first introduced in high-income countries. Treatment for hepatitis B is available at less than $30 per year ($2.4 per month).
For individuals seeking to maintain liver health, WHO recommends hepatitis testing, treatment if diagnosed, and vaccination against hepatitis B. Additionally, reducing alcohol consumption, achieving a healthy weight, and managing diabetes or hypertension will also contribute to better liver health.
