28 July: World Hepatitis Day
The World Hepatitis Day is being observed every year on July 28 around the globe to spread awareness about viral hepatitis.
Significance of the Day: It seeks to encourage diagnosis, prevention and treatment of Hepatitis. Provide a single global platform to raise awareness about hepatitis and influence real change in disease prevention, testing and treatment
2016 Theme: “Elimination”. It focuses on elimination of hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.
About World Hepatitis Day
- The day is being observed since 2010. It is one of the 8 official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- WHO had passed a resolution for observance of this day on viral hepatitis in May 2010 had passed, providing official endorsement to it.
- The date 28 July was chosen to mark the birth anniversary of Professor Baruch Blumberg who had discovered hepatitis B virus. He was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1976) for this discovery.
What is Hepatitis?
- Hepatitis name has derived from Greek word ‘Hepar’ meaning liver and ‘itis’ meaning inflammation.
- Thus, it is a medical condition in which inflammation occurs in liver cells and its complications vary with the type of infection
- It is mostly caused by a group of viruses called hepatitis viruses. There are 5 types of hepatitis viz. A, B, C, D and E. Each type is caused by a different hepatitis virus.
- It can also be caused by intoxicants like drugs, alcohol, chemicals and other infections and autoimmune diseases.