World Hepatitis Day: History
World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is recognized annually on July 28th, the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg (1925–2011). Dr. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967, and 2 years later he developed the first hepatitis B vaccine. These achievements culminated in Dr. Blumberg winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976. Organizations around the world, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC, commemorate WHD to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, which impacts more than 354 million people worldwide. WHD creates an opportunity to educate people about the burden of these infections, CDC’s efforts to combat viral hepatitis around the world, and actions people can take to prevent these infections.
WHD is a day for the world’s hepatitis community to unite and make our voices heard. It’s a day to celebrate the progress we have made and to meet the current challenges. It’s also an opportunity for us to increase awareness and encourage a real political change to jointly facilitate prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
WHD is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of the importance of knowing your hepatitis status and to spread the word about treatment.
The five hepatitis viruses – hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E – are distinct and can spread in different ways, affect different populations, and result in different health outcomes.
The most widely recognized symptoms of these infections incorporate loss of appetite, yellow discoloration of skin and eyes (jaundice), pale stools, dim pee, stomach pain, joint wain, fatigue, abrupt weight reduction, nausea, fever, vomiting, and so forth. Be that as it may, aside from these regular manifestations, there are situations where the side effects don’t show until liver harm happens.
Why World Hepatitis Day Is Important:
Hepatitis is not one of those diseases that only affects certain demographics or specific regions in the world; you can get hepatitis anywhere. It’s estimated that about 400 million people are infected by hepatitis, worldwide. You can contract hepatitis through blood contact or sexual intercourse. A mother can pass it to her child. That’s why hepatitis can affect people in places where there’s little information about the impact on unsafe sexual practices or drug abuse. Left untreated, hepatitis can lead to dangerous and sometimes, fatal liver diseases.
protect yourself against hepatitis:
- Use sterile injections always
- Use your own razors and blades
- Practise safe sex
- Use safe tattooing and piercing equipment
- Vaccinate infants against Hepatitis B
World Hepatitis Day 2022: Theme
Hepatitis can manifest as acute or chronic illness. This year’s theme for World Hepatitis Day is, “Bringing hepatitis care closer to you.”
