In 2022, India found itself second only to China in the global tally of hepatitis B and C cases, with a staggering 3.5 crore infections, as per the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO). This report, released on Tuesday, revealed that globally, 254 million individuals battled hepatitis B, while 50 million grappled with hepatitis C during the same year.
Specifically, India recorded 2.98 crore cases of hepatitis B and 55 lakh cases of hepatitis C in 2022, placing significant strain on the nation's healthcare system. China, on the other hand, reported a staggering 8.3 crore cases, constituting a substantial 27.5% of the global disease burden.
Highlighting the severity of the issue, the WHO emphasized that hepatitis B and C collectively lead to chronic illness in millions, and are the primary causes of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and hepatitis-related fatalities worldwide.
Alarmingly, the WHO underscored that viral hepatitis stands as the second leading infectious cause of death globally, claiming 1.3 million lives annually—a figure equivalent to tuberculosis-related deaths. Of these deaths, 83% were attributed to hepatitis B and 17% to hepatitis C, indicating the urgent need for effective intervention strategies.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed deep concern over the escalating death toll, emphasizing the critical need for enhanced diagnosis and treatment efforts to reverse this trend. Moreover, the report highlighted disparities in pricing and service delivery, underscoring funding as a significant hurdle in combating the hepatitis epidemic.
To address these challenges, the WHO outlined a comprehensive set of actions aimed at advancing public health initiatives against viral hepatitis. These strategies include expanding access to testing and diagnostics, ensuring equitable treatment, bolstering primary care prevention measures, leveraging improved data for actionable insights, and fostering engagement with affected communities and civil society.
With concerted efforts and global collaboration, these measures aim to pave the way towards eradicating the hepatitis epidemic by 2030.
