Context

Recently, Global Hepatitis Report 2024 was released by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Global Hepatitis Report 2024: Key Highlights

• As per the Global Hepatitis Report 2024, India has one of the highest viral hepatitis burden (causing liver inflammation damage and may lead to liver cancer).
  • Infection rates: There are around 304 million people living with Hepatitis B and C across the world as per the report.
• Largest killer: A  global death rate of 1.3 million annually, viral hepatitis with  tuberculosis were the second biggest infectious killer in 2022, behind only the deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

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What is Viral Hepatitis?

• Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It causes  liver diseases including acute and chronic infections, liver failure, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Mode of transmission: By infectious sources (virus and food and water contamination and sexual transmission) and non – infectious source like (heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions)
  • Hepatitis B: The infection is mainly driven by transmission from mother to child with almost 90 per cent of transmission happening  from the mother to the child .
• Main strains of Hepatitis: There are 5 main strains of Hepatitis ie.  A, B, C, D and E.
  • They all cause liver disease, they differ in important ways including modes of transmission, severity of the illness, geographical distribution and prevention methods
• Symptoms:
  • Hepatitis B: It  is known to cause acute infection with nausea, vomitting and yellowing of the eye and skin for several weeks.
  • Chronic Hepatitis:  It can cause life-long liver disease especially when children get it and can lead to scarring of the liver called cirrhosis and increase the risk of liver cancer. 
  • Hepatitis C: Symptoms occur  two to 12 weeks after exposure which include, yellow skin or eyes, loss of appetite, nausea, stomach ache, fever, dark urine, light-coloured stool, joint pain and exhaustion.
• Diagnosis and Treatment: The report says that only 2.4 per cent of the Hepatitis B cases were diagnosed and 0 per cent received treatment. For Hepatitis C,  28 per cent were being diagnosed and 21 per cent received treatment.
  • Hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination and there is a need to ensure that all newborns receive complete vaccination and all adults should be offered, who were born before the vaccine was included in the national programme.
  • Hepatitis C is curable with medicines.
• Vaccination: Hepatitis B vaccine is offered to children under the Universal Immunisation Programme in India whereas, the government’s National viral hepatitis control programme also offers the vaccine to high-risk adults such as healthcare workers as well. 
  • Treatment for both Hepatitis B and C is available under the programme.
  • But the reach is limited. People have not been utilising the free diagnostics and treatment offered under the programme.