WHO warns over rise in global deaths from viral hepatitis

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised alarm over the rising cases of infections and deaths from viral hepatitis globally.

Citing the 2024 Global Hepatitis Report,WHO explained on its website that hepatitis is the second leading infectious disease with 1.3 million deaths per year, the same as tuberculosis, a top infectious killer. New data from 187 countries show that the estimated number of deaths from viral hepatitis increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. “Of these, 83 per cent were caused by hepatitis B, and 17 per cent by hepatitis C. Every day, there are 3,500 people dying globally due to hepatitis B and C infections,” it noted. According to WHO, despite better tools for diagnosis and treatment, and decreasing product prices, testing and treatment coverage rates have stalled.

“However, reaching the WHO elimination goal by 2030 should still be achievable, if swift actions are taken now,” it noted. e WHO DirectorGeneral, Tedros Ghebreyesus, was quoted to have described the data from the report as worrisome. “is report paints a troubling picture: despite progress globally in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising because far too few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated. “WHO is committed to supporting countries to use all the tools at their disposal – at access prices – to save lives and turn this trend around,” he said. e updated WHO estimates indicate that 254 million people lived with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C in 2022. Also, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and C infections is among people 30–54 years old, with 12 per cent among children under 18 years of age while men accounted for 58 per cent of all cases. e new cases,when compared to 2019, indicates a decrease in the number of infections, however the overall incidence of viral hepatitis remains high. It noted that in 2022, there were 2.2 million new infections, down from 2.5 million in 2019 including 1.2 million new hepatitis B infections and nearly 1 million new hepatitis C infections, adding that more than 6000 people are getting newly infected with viral hepatitis daily.

Across all the world regions, the report noted that only 13 per cent of people living with chronic hepatitis B infection had been diagnosed and approximately 3 per cent (7 million) had received antiviral therapy by the end of 2022. While for hepatitis C, 36 per cent had been diagnosed and 20 per cent (12.5 million) received curative treatment. ese results fall well below the global targets to treat 80 per cent of people living with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C by 2030, but shows a slight but consistent improvement in diagnosis and treatment coverage since its last report estimates in 2019.

“Hepatitis B diagnosis increased from 10 per cent to 13 per cent and treatment from 2 per cent to 3per cent, and hepatitis C diagnosis from 21 per cent to 36 per cent and treatment from 13 per cent to 20 per cent,” it revealed.