Hepatitis viruses still kill 3,500 people a day, warns the World Health Organization

An increasing number. Hepatitis viruses still cause 3,500 deaths per day, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a report on Tuesday April 9, calling for action to be taken. “rapid measures”. According to data from 187 countries, the estimated number of deaths linked to viral hepatitis increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022, according to this study published on the occasion of the World Summit on hepatitis.

Those are “alarming trends”, insisted Meg Doherty, director of the WHO HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted infections (STI) department, during a press briefing. According to the UN health agency, 83% of deaths are linked to hepatitis B, and 17% to hepatitis C. In 2022, 254 million people were living with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis Hepatitis C.

Too few people treated

At the end of 2022, only 3% of people living with chronic hepatitis B infection had received antiviral treatment. Regarding hepatitis C, 20% received curative treatment. “Results well below global targets to treat 80% of people living with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C by 2030”, underlined Meg Doherty. However, these data are a slight improvement compared to 2019 figures.

Africa is the source of 63% of new hepatitis B virus infections, but only 18% of newborns there receive the dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Despite the availability of affordable generic drugs against viral hepatitis, many countries are unable to obtain them, regrets the WHO.