World Hepatitis Day: One Liver, One Life Awareness Campaign

Every year, 28 July is celebrated as World Hepatitis Day. The American National Institute of Health estimates 2 to 10 out of 100,000 children, and 4 to 43 out of 100,000 adults worldwide have autoimmune hepatitis. 

One Liver, One Life. Yes, We got only one life, with only support from one liver. But, if you have Hepatitis, it can ruin both. 

Hepatitis is a general term for liver inflammation, one of the biggest and most significant organs in the body, according to Dr. Naveen Polavarapu, senior consultant gastroenterologist, liver specialist, advanced therapeutic endoscopist, and endosonologist at Hyderabad’s Yashoda Hospitals. The goal of World Hepatitis Day is to spread knowledge about viral hepatitis and identify strategies for its detection, treatment, and diagnosis.

Significance of World Hepatitis Day

According to WHO, the most frequent causes of liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, and viral hepatitis-related fatalities in the Western Pacific Region are projected to be 116 million and 10 million people living with hepatitis B and C, respectively.

World Hepatitis Day successfully advances towards a world free of hepatitis by raising awareness of the lethal effects of this viral disease. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Hepatitis B vaccine among people all over the world and stop the spread of the infection. 

The WHO has set a goal for the world to cooperate and strive towards eradicating viral hepatitis as a substantial public health risk by 2030. To eradicate these lethal diseases completely, WHO intends to increase immunization, early diagnosis, and better health care services. 

History To Be Remembered

The World Hepatitis Alliance, founded in 2007, created World Hepatitis Day. It was first celebrated on May 19, 2008. To recognize the American physician Dr. Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered hepatitis B in the 1960s, the day was later changed to July 28, 2010. Additionally, he made significant ground-breaking contributions to the field of research by identifying the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and creating a test and vaccine for detection. 

Are There Any Symptoms?

Since many hepatitis sufferers don’t exhibit any symptoms, many people aren’t even aware that they have the illness. Acute infection symptoms might manifest between two and six weeks after hepatitis exposure.

Fever, exhaustion, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, light-colored faeces, joint pain, and jaundice are some of the symptoms of acute hepatitis. However, persistent viral hepatitis may take years to manifest.

Autoimmune Hepatitis Prevention

If you have autoimmune hepatitis, you may take care of yourself by doing the following, advises Dr. Polavarapu.

• Do Self-Care Regularly: Making sure the liver stays as healthy as possible can be achieved by taking medication and visiting a doctor frequently.
• No particular diet has been demonstrated to help those with autoimmune liver disease recover more quickly. The best suggestion is to maintain a balanced, regular, healthy diet and stay away from being overweight because this might worsen autoimmune hepatitis and raise the possibility of fatty liver disease.
• Since alcohol can harm the liver and result in fatty liver disease, it should be avoided. Beer, wine, and hard liquor are just a few of the alcoholic drinks that can damage the liver. Alcohol consumption at any level can exacerbate liver damage.

In conclusion, World Hepatitis Day is a vital reminder of the profound impact hepatitis can have on individuals and communities worldwide. The staggering number of people affected by viral hepatitis underscores the urgency of addressing this public health challenge. 

By promoting awareness, early detection, and access to healthcare, we can work together to achieve the WHO’s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a major health risk by 2030. Let us strive for a world free of hepatitis through collective efforts and timely interventions.

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