2024 Global Hepatitis Report

General Studies-II

The World Health Organization (WHO) did release their 2024 Global Hepatitis Report recently.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by viruses or other factors.
Five main hepatitis viruses exist (A, B, C, D, and E), each with varying transmission modes, severity, and geographical prevalence.
Types B and C are the most concerning, leading to chronic illness and causing most liver cirrhosis, cancer, and deaths related to viral hepatitis.

This is the first comprehensive WHO report on viral hepatitis, providing data on disease burden, service coverage, and access to treatments.
It includes data from 187 countries on infections, deaths, and service coverage.
An update on access to hepatitis B and C treatments in low- and middle-income countries is included, covering nearly 80% of global infections and deaths.

Globally, an estimated 254 million people have hepatitis B and 50 million have hepatitis C (as of 2022).
Deaths from viral hepatitis have risen from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022.
Hepatitis B causes 83% of these deaths, with hepatitis C causing the remaining 17%.
Around 3500 people die globally every day due to hepatitis B and C infections.
Ten countries carry nearly two-thirds of the global burden: Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam.
India has the second-highest number of cases (after China) with 3.5 crore (35 million) infections, accounting for 11.6% of the global burden in 2022.

Despite progress in preventing infections, many with hepatitis remain undiagnosed and untreated, leading to rising deaths.
Viral hepatitis is now the second leading infectious cause of global death (1.3 million annually), on par with tuberculosis.
Unequal access to treatment persists due to pricing disparities across regions, even for generic drugs.
Service delivery is often centralized and lacks integration, and out-of-pocket expenses remain a barrier for many.
Insufficient funding exists, both globally and within national health budgets.