Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C (2010)
The global epidemic of hepatitis B and C is a serious public health problem, and in the United States alone between 3 million and 6 million people are infected with a strain of the viruses. Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of chronic liver disease and liver cancer. Indeed, in the next 10 years, 150,000 people in the United States will die from liver disease or cancer associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. People most at risk for hepatitis B and C often are the least likely to have access to medical services. Reducing the rates of illness and death associated with these diseases will require greater awareness and knowledge among health care workers, improved identification of at-risk people, and improved access to medical care.