In 2015, 325 million people were living with hepatitis B or C, and 1.34 million died from it. For the World Health Organization (WHO) through the voice of its Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan, “viral hepatitis represents a major health challenge requiring urgent action”.
The number of patients affected is comparable to that of those affected by HIV or tuberculosis, but these two infections are declining, unlike hepatitis. The situation is particularly critical in the Pacific region and Africa, which account for 6.2% and 6.1% of the population affected by hepatitis B. Hepatitis C continues to spread, in particular because unsafe injections in health centres, and injecting drug use.
Objective: 90% screening by 2030
A report by the organization on this disease published in 2017 specifies that the vast majority of infected people do not have access to the necessary screening and treatment. Thus, only 9% and 8% of people respectively affected by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and that of hepatitis C (HCV) were diagnosed in 2015. Among them, the people treated do not exceed 20% for HBV and 7% for HCV. The WHO strategy aims to detect 90% of hepatitis cases and treat 80% of them by 2030. HBV vaccination coverage for children is increasing and should help reduce cases gradually. No vaccine available, however, against HCV, but drugs that are effective fairly quickly, the prices of which are starting to fall around the world, thanks to generic competition for example. The organization hopes to prevent millions of cancers and chronic liver diseases that often lead to death.
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