India reports second highest number of Hepatitis B and C after China, WHO reveals shocking data

A new report from the World Health Organisation has left Indians tensed. According to the report, India reported 3.5 crore cases of viral hepatitis in 2022, accounting for 11.6 per cent of the total disease burden globally that year. While China has the most cases, India ranks second on the list of countries with the highest Hepatitis B infection.

Let us know more about the report and the disease.

What does the WHO report reveal?

Hepatitis can be caused by the five known hepatitis viruses – A, B, C, D and E. However, the infections caused by hepatitis B and C are responsible for 96 per cent of all infections. According to the WHO report, 2.98 crore hepatitis B cases were reported in 2022 while the number of hepatitis C infections stood at 55 lakh.

Number of deaths across 187 countries was reported to increase from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. Of this, 83 per cent were caused by hepatitis B, and 17 per cent by hepatitis C.

The WHO report also revealed that every day, there are 3,500 people dying globally due to hepatitis B and C infections.

“This report paints a troubling picture: despite progress globally in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising because far too few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.

The report also revealed that half the burden of chronic hepatitis B and C infections is among people between 30 and 54 years old, with 12 per cent among children under 18 years.

Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation and Vietnam, collectively contributes to two-thirds of the global burden of hepatitis B and C.

The WHO report said that in 2022, 98,305 people died due to hepatitis B while 26,206 succumbed to hepatitis C. Only 2.4 per cent of those infected in the country had received diagnosis coverage, as per the report.

What is hepatitis and what are its symptoms?

Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by various factors, including viral infections, excessive alcohol consumption, autoimmune diseases, or exposure to certain toxins or drugs. Viral hepatitis is the most common type and is caused by specific viruses, including hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

Some signs of hepatitis are fatigue, jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, pale stool, joint pain, and enlarged liver. Fever may occur as the body tries to fight off the infection or inflammation.

However, some people with hepatitis may not experience any symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease.

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