The World Health Organization (WHO) released the Global Hepatitis Report 2024. In this report, data from 187 countries has been taken. The estimated number of deaths due to viral hepatitis has increased from 1.1 million in the year 2019 to 1.3 million in the year 2022. . Of these, 83% of deaths were due to hepatitis B and 17% were due to hepatitis C. Every day, 3,500 people are dying globally due to hepatitis B and C infection. Chronic hepatitis B and C account for about 50% of infections 30 -54% is in people under 18 years of age, 12% is in children under 18 years of age. 58% of all cases are in men.
Key Findings of the Report
India’s Hepatitis Burden
Prevalence in India
- India is one of the countries with the highest burden of viral hepatitis.
- India has an estimated 2.9 crore people living with Hepatitis B infection and 0.55 crore living with Hepatitis C infection.
- There were over 50,000 new Hepatitis B cases and 1.4 lakh new Hepatitis C cases reported in India in 2022.
- These viral hepatitis infections killed 1.23 lakh people in India in 2022.
Drivers of Hepatitis Infections in India
- Both Hepatitis B and C infections are transmitted through various means, including mother-to-child transmission, unsafe blood transfusions, contact with infected blood, and needle-sharing among drug users.
- Despite advancements in blood safety protocols, mother-to-child transmission remains a primary mode of infection for Hepatitis B in India.
Diagnosis and Treatment Coverage
- In India, only 2.4% of Hepatitis B cases and 28% of Hepatitis C cases are diagnosed.
- Treatment coverage is even lower, at 0% for Hepatitis B and 21% for Hepatitis C, despite the availability of affordable generic medicines.
Barriers to Improving Hepatitis Outcomes
- Limited reach and utilisation of the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program.
- Need to expand access to affordable diagnostics and treatment services under the program.
- Requirement to treat all diagnosed individuals, regardless of disease stage, to reduce health consequences and transmission.
Global
Mortality Trends
- Viral hepatitis caused an estimated 1.3 million deaths globally in 2022, on par with tuberculosis.
- Hepatitis B accounted for 83% of these deaths, while hepatitis C accounted for 17%.
- The rise in mortality suggests an increase in hepatitis-related liver cancer cases and deaths.
- The number of new viral hepatitis infections declined from 2.5 million in 2019 to 2.2 million in 2022.
Prevalence
- Globally, an estimated 304 million people were living with hepatitis B and C in 2022.
- WHO estimates indicate that 254 million people lived with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C in 2022.
- 12% of the burden is among children, particularly for hepatitis B.
Barriers to Scaling Up Testing and Treatment
- Lack of funding and limited decentralisation have restricted the scaling up of testing services.
- Many countries are still not procuring hepatitis medicines at the available generic prices, leading to high costs.
- Patent-related barriers remain an obstacle to accessing affordable hepatitis C medicines in some countries.
Hepatitis
- Hepatitis is caused by infectious viruses (viral hepatitis), and noninfectious agents, leading to a range of health problems, some of which can be fatal.
- There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus: A, B, C, D, and E, each with different modes of transmission, severity, geographical distribution, and prevention methods.
- Types B and C are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis (a condition in which the liver is scarred and permanently damaged), liver cancer, and viral hepatitis-related deaths.
- Some types of hepatitis are preventable through vaccination, and an estimated 4.5 million premature deaths could be prevented by 2030 through vaccination, diagnostic tests, medicines, and education campaigns.
- WHO’s global hepatitis strategy aims to reduce new hepatitis infections by 90% and deaths by 65% between 2016 and 2030.
Symptoms and Severity
- Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E can exhibit mild or no symptoms.
- Symptoms of hepatitis A, B, and C include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine, and jaundice.
- Chronic liver infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer can result from hepatitis A, B, and C.
- Hepatitis D is found in people already infected with hepatitis B and can cause a more serious infection and accelerated progression to cirrhosis. Chronic hepatitis D is rare.
- Hepatitis E symptoms include mild fever, reduced appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, itching, skin rash, joint pain, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, and hepatomegaly or acute liver failure.