Every year on 28th July ‘World Hepatitis Day’ was observed; it is an opportunity to step up national and international efforts on hepatitis, promote action and participation by individuals, partners, and the public and highlight the need for a greater global response as illustrated in 2017 WHO Global Hepatitis Report. The goal of the day is to raise global hepatitis awareness of a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E and to promote prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. 290 million people worldwide are unwittingly infected with viral hepatitis. Without finding the undiagnosed and linking them to worry, millions will still suffer, and lives are lost. The date of 28th July was chosen because it’s the birthday of Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. Hepatitis affects many innumerable people worldwide, causing acute and chronic disease and killing near 1.34 million people each year. Hepatitis causes liver diseases and may also kill an individual. Organizations like the United Nations (UN ) and the World Hepatitis Alliance partner with individuals and community organizations to support hepatitis awareness-raising efforts around the world. World Hepatitis Day information is typically circulated via social media, magazines, posters, and the World Health Organization (WHO) web site.
World Hepatitis Day is one in all eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), together with World Health Day, World Blood Donor Day, World Immunization Week, World Tuberculosis Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Malaria Day and World AIDS Day. Hepatitis is simply liver inflammation and can be caused by various things. A viral infection is one of the most common causes of chronic (long term) hepatitis. Notably in 2012, a Guinness record was created when 12,588 people from 20 countries did the Three Wise Monkeys actions on World Hepatitis Day to suggest the willful ignorance of the disease. The World Hepatitis Alliance first launched World Hepatitis Day in 2008. Subsequently, the UN declared this event officially recognized in 2010. World Hepatitis Day is now celebrated every year in over 100 countries through activities including free vaccinations, poster campaigns, marches, concerts, talk shows, flash mobs, and vaccination drives. Every year the WHO and the World Hepatitis Alliance publish a report detailing all of the events around the world. Every year World Hepatitis Day has a new theme.
