Hepatitis virus kills 3,500 people a day, says WHO – 04/09/2024 – Balance and Health

More than 3,500 people die every day on the planet due to the hepatitis virus, a number that is increasing, warned this Tuesday (9) the WHO (World Health Organization), which called for the adoption of “rapid measures”.

Data analyzed from 187 countries shows that the number of deaths from viral hepatitis increased to 1.3 million in 2022, against 1.1 million in 2019, according to the WHO report released on the occasion of the World Summit on Hepatitis that will take place this week in Portugal.

“It’s an alarming trend,” said Meg Doherty, director of the division responsible for WHO’s global programs to combat HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, at a press conference.

The document indicates that 3,500 deaths are recorded daily from hepatitis infections, 83% from hepatitis B and 17% from hepatitis C.

Updated WHO estimates indicate that 254 million people had hepatitis B in 2022 and 50 million people had hepatitis C.

And there are cheap and effective generic medicines to combat these viruses. However, only 3% of people suffering from chronic hepatitis B received antiviral treatments in 2022, the WHO report states.

For hepatitis C, only 20% of infected people received treatment.

“The results are far below global targets to treat 80% of all people living with chronic hepatitis B and C by 2030,” added Doherty.

“Despite global progress in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising as few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” said WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who called the outlook “worrying.”

Africa records 63% of new hepatitis B infections and less than 20% of babies on the continent are vaccinated against the disease in the first hours after birth, according to the WHO.

WHO also regrets that affected countries do not have sufficient access to generic hepatitis medicines and that they often pay more than the fair price.

Two-thirds of all hepatitis cases are reported in Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam, according to the document.

“Universal access to prevention, diagnosis and treatment in these ten countries by 2025, while intensified efforts in Africa, are essential to get the adequate global response back on track” against hepatitis, the WHO said in a statement.

The hepatitis virus is the second most lethal pathogen, behind the bacillus that causes tuberculosis.