World Hepatitis Day is one of only 7 official days recognised by WHO

World Hepatitis Day is one of only 7 official days recognised by WHO and yet WHO assigns only 3 people to work on it, as opposed to 98 for TB, 59 for HIV/AIDS and 75 for Malaria

EUROPE

• Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in this region, and liver cancer is significantly on the rise^*.
• A third of people living with HIV/AIDS are believed to be co-infected with hepatitis C^**.
• 14 million chronically infected with hepatitis B, 9 million chronically infected with hepatitis C, compared with 1.5 million infected by HIV^***.

We must recognise the sheer numbers of people who are living with viral hepatitis, and reflect these numbers by assigning viral hepatitis a higher priority on a global level.

• Currently, diseases receive attention and funding depending on their perceived global priority, which is often completely disproportionate to the actual burden of the disease.
• Excluding viral hepatitis from global health initiatives fails to recognise the significant burden it places on economies, and the sheer numbers of people who are impoverished through it.
• As hepatitis rates are so high, the absence of resources, awareness and global pressure means that millions of preventable deaths by a major global killer are simply being ignored.

*Viral Hepatitis: Prevention and Control, WHO report, to be released July 2013
**Viral Hepatitis: Prevention and Control, WHO report, to be released July 2013
***Viral Hepatitis: Prevention and Control, WHO report, to be released July 2013