World Hepatitis Day 2021: Theme, History, and Significance

Every year on July 28, World Hepatitis Day (WHD) is observed to raise awareness about viral hepatitis.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can cause severe liver disease and hepatocellular cancer. Every 30 seconds, a person dies due to hepatitis illness, added WHO.

On World Hepatitis Day 2021, WHO will host a Global Talk Show to provide a platform for global, national, and regional leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders for discussing action plans to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.

World Hepatitis Day 2021: Theme

•‘Hepatitis can’t wait’ is the theme of World Hepatitis Day 2021.

•This year, the theme ‘Hepatitis can’t wait’ aims at highlighting the urgent efforts required to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

•As per WHO, with a person dying every 30 seconds due to a hepatitis-related illness, even with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, we cannot wait to act to eliminate hepatitis.

World Hepatitis Day: History

•World Hepatitis Day is observed on July 28 as it coincides with the birthday of Nobel-prize-winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who had detected the Hepatitis B virus and developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus.

•The day highlights the urgency for a global response against hepatitis as mentioned in the WHO’s Global Hepatitis Report, 2017.

World Hepatitis Day: Significance

•Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E can lead to chronic infection and inflammation of the liver thereby causing liver cancer.

•World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity to bring the world together to raise awareness about the global health threat ‘hepatitis’.

•In 2021, despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, this day calls all people to take action and spread awareness about its treatment, including prevention, screening, and controlling the spread of viral hepatitis, and increasing vaccine coverage for hepatitis B, and charting a global response to eliminate hepatitis.