World Hepatitis Day

This World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, is focused on ‘It’s Time for Action,’ emphasising the urgency to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.

Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus (BBV) that infects the liver. Persistent infection over time can cause serious liver damage leading to cirrhosis, liver failure and cancer.

Every year, 1.3 million people lose their lives to hepatitis – because they weren’t tested, or didn’t have access to treatment, or were never vaccinated. New data from the World Health Organization shows the number of deaths is rising. 

Did you know?

Hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer.

  • 80% of all liver cancer cases are related to hepatitis B or C.
  • Over 300 million people are living with viral hepatitis.
  • In 2022, 254 million people lived with hepatitis B and 50 million lived with hepatitis C.
  • There are more than 2 million new cases of viral hepatitis every year.
  • More than 6,000 people contract viral hepatitis every day.
  • From 2015 to 2022, the number of people living with chronic HCV (hepatitis C) infection in England has fallen dramatically by 51.6% to an estimated 62,600.

Those most at risk

People who inject drugs (PWID) are the main risk group for HCV (Hepatitis C virus) infection, and considerable progress has been made to reduce infection within this group, which is now at 11.8%.

Risk can be reduced through use of pharmacy or home delivery needle exchange services:

 Other people at risk are those who have:

  • been in prison
  • experienced homelessness
  • are from a country with a higher prevalence of HCV
  • received a blood transfusion before September 1996 or a blood product (such as clotting factor) before 1986 in the UK

If you’ve been affected by the recent infected blood inquiry, the NHS website has advice on support for people who may have been affected by infected blood. 

Treatment

Hepatitis C is treated using direct-acting antiviral (DAA) tablets, which are the safest and most effective medicines and highly effective at clearing the infection in more than 90% of people.

The tablets are taken for 8 to 12 weeks. The length of treatment will depend on which type of hepatitis C you have.

Hepatitis C - Treatment - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Where to get a vaccination for Hepatitis A & B

Find our more at: Viral hepatitis - Brighton & Hove Sexual Health and Contraception Service Brighton & Hove Sexual Health and Contraception Service (brightonsexualhealth.com)