Algerian Radio
The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed its call to intensify global efforts to combat viral hepatitis, coinciding with the observance of World Hepatitis Day today, Tuesday. The organization emphasized that expanding early screening and treatment serves as a fundamental pillar to achieving the goal of eliminating the disease as a public health threat by 2030.
This occasion is commemorated to mark the birthday of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus and developed the first diagnostic test and vaccine for it—a breakthrough that brought about a qualitative shift in disease prevention and control efforts.
This year, the organization raised the slogan "Hepatitis: Let's analyze it," sending a clear message that the tools necessary for prevention, detection, and treatment are readily available. However, "persistent gaps in access to healthcare services prevent their full utilization, calling for an accelerated pace of investment in diagnostic and treatment programs."
Viral hepatitis continues to pose major health challenges globally, with over two million new infections recorded annually, while more than 300 million people live with chronic hepatitis infections—representing one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to WHO estimates.
In this context, the organization stressed that "reaching the goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030 hinges on expanding vaccination programs, enhancing early screening, and ensuring treatment access for all patients, alongside intensifying awareness campaigns to curb transmission and reduce mortality rates."
World Hepatitis Day serves as an occasion to renew international commitment toward expanding prevention, detection, and treatment services, recognizing them as critical tools to halt the spread of the disease and save millions of lives in the coming years.
