North Carolina Hepatitis A Outbreak Surpasses 1,000 Cases – BladenOnline com bladenonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bladenonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
WITH a large part of the world’s health resources diverted towards fighting wave after wave of Covid-19, it is easy to forget about other viral diseases that are just as dangerous and that continue to take a heavy toll on lives around the world. For instance, at least one person dies of hepatitis-related illness every 30 seconds, according to the WHO. In Pakistan, there are between 12m and 15m people infected with either hepatitis B or C, while at least 150,000 new cases are reported every day. Independent data suggests that hepatitis B and C have proved far more lethal than Covid-19 so far, taking between 300 and 325 lives every day in the country. The actual number of infections may be far higher since a large number of cases go unreported. Unsafe medical practices and a poor system of sewage disposal and sanitation are responsible for the spread of all five forms of hepatitis in the country. While hepatitis B and C are transmitted through direct contact with or transfusion of bo
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall announced the government s action plan at a mobile pop-up testing clinic in Hamilton this morning, to mark World Hepatitis Day, in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) s global hepatitis strategy.
The plan includes:
Virtual registry and a surveillance system
Expansion of nurse-led clinics and mobile clinics
Increased testing and treatment
A national awareness campaign
The plan would cost $2.2m on top of the $7m already spent annually on the needle exchange programme and hepatitis C assessment and treatment.
The WHO defined elimination as reducing new chronic cases by 90 percent and deaths by 65 percent compared to 2015.
World Hepatitis Day: Know history, significance and the 2021 theme of Hepatitis can t wait
The official theme for World Hepatitis Day 2021 is âHepatitis canât waitâ â which means that action on viral hepatitis canât wait, even in a pandemic. Pic courtesy: worldhepatitisday.org
Updated: Jul 28, 2021, 09:53 AM IST
Each year, July 28 is commemorated at World Hepatitis Day (WHD) in a bid to raise awareness around the globe about viral hepatitis. As per the official website of World Hepatitis Alliance - www.worldhepatitisday.org, one person is lost to a hepatitis related illness every 30 seconds around the world.
What is Viral Hepatitis?
Hepatitis, which causes inflammation in the liver, is a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis is commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are several risk factors for hepatitis, such as excessive consumption of alcohol, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions. The World Health Organization has identified Hepatitis as a major health concern for India.