The world is celebrating World Hepatitis Day on 28 July. The global theme of the day is “This is hepatitis. Know it. Confront it”. The day also marks the birthday of Professor Baruch S. Blumberg who discovered the hepatitis B virus. In accordance with World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution WHA 63.18, the Day was first celebrated last year across the globe to raise public awareness on the risk and burden of viral hepatitis for individuals and communities and also to strengthen prevention and control efforts of viral hepatitis and its related disease. 

Viral hepatitis is a group of diseases causing inflammation of the liver. There are five main types of hepatitis virus - A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis is a potentially fatal disease. Many people experience no symptoms if left untreated. The danger and extent of hepatitis as a threat to public health is largely being ignored in the world. More needs to be done to stop this “silent epidemic”.

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