World Hepatitis Day:- On Friday, 28th of July, people around the world will celebrate World Hepatitis Day 2024. One of the most serious health disorders affecting the liver is hepatitis. Without a liver or a liver with any chronic disease, one cannot imagine his/her healthy life.
So, it is very necessary to eradicate the problems of the liver and other body organs to live a healthy life as well as the making world. a disease-free world.
This article is a small and great message for everyone to be aware of hepatitis.
History of World Hepatitis Day
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated every year on the 28th of July aiming to make aware the common people globally about hepatitis. It is the world-level awareness program launched as a global public health campaign by the World Health Organization to make the world a hepatitis-free world.
Earlier it was celebrated as an international Hepatitis C Awareness Day by the patient groups of European and Middle Eastern regions on the 1st of October in 2004 however in some regions it was marked as a hepatitis day on different dates.
In order to make this the best awareness campaign in 2008, the World Hepatitis Alliance has declared the 19th of May as the first World Hepatitis Day in association with the patient groups.
28th of July was declared as the final date for the celebration of World Hepatitis Day globally to honor the “Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg” on his birthday anniversary (28th of July) as he discovered the hepatitis B virus.
The purpose of World Hepatitis Day is to promote education about viral hepatitis and to help make global public health better by enhancing global public health.
More than 100 countries around the world organize a variety of effective activities to honor the day.
What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is the liver infection and inflammation caused by the virus. Five types of hepatitis have been detected caused by different viruses and named hepatitis A, B, C, D, E. A, and E types are short-term infections and known as acute infections however B, C, and D types are long-term infections and called chronic hepatitis.
The second one may lead to some life-threatening complications including cirrhosis means liver scarring, liver cancer, liver failure and so many.
More than 1.5 million people are getting die every year because of this dangerous disease whereas 4.4 million Americans are living with the infection of this chronic hepatitis.
People may be infected with hepatitis A due to food and water contamination with fecal matter. Hepatitis B is the most common problem caused in many regions of the world, especially in Asian and African countries.
Vaccines are available for both types of hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis C can be caused by the sharing of needles, and equipment and injecting cosmetic substances, steroids, or drugs.
Most of the persons suffering from viral hepatitis do not develop any obvious symptoms in the starting period which may lead to some serious liver problems like liver damage. Liver cancer and failure which needs a liver transplant.
Why is it Celebrated World Hepatitis Day?
Every year on April 19th, World Hepatitis Day encourages people to get an early diagnosis, to prevent and to treat hepatitis. Millions of people worldwide have acute and chronic hepatitis and die from it as a result.
Celebration activities stimulate people and provide them with information about hepatitis prevention and control measures in detail. With the help of the WHD toolkit, it is possible to participate in events and activities in the nearest areas to generate a broad level of awareness worldwide.
The following are some of the objectives of celebrating world hepatitis day:
1. To provide an opportunity to all focus together on this issue.
2. To raise common public awareness about various forms of hepatitis including means of transmission.
3. To strengthen people by letting them know about different measures like prevention, early diagnosis, screening, control, etc.
4. To increase awareness about hepatitis A and B vaccines.
5. To get a global response from the people to implement some solid steps towards hepatitis.
6. To expand the educational areas for immunization, prevention, diagnosis, and control.
7. To enhance awareness about comprehensive care and treatment of people suffering from hepatitis.
8. To increase public awareness about the risk factors, remove social stigma and promote for early testing.
9. To implement new training methods and a number of skilled medical professionals in order to enhance quality care.
10. To promote various health and government organizations worldwide for their active involvement in the event to create new strategies against hepatitis.
11. To promote professional staff members to actively participate in the event.
Activities of World Hepatitis Day
Public places and clinical areas by organizing various activities and events involving professional and common people.
A variety of activities include arranging free screenings, tests, diagnosis, poster campaigns, concerts, talk shows, demonstrations, competitive activities, essay writing, flash mobs, vaccination camps, increasing awareness through social media websites, newspapers, posters distribution, diet education, art exhibition, discussion on health care topics, speech, sports and so many.
The mass crowd of people from nearby areas gets together during the celebration to become active. Participants of the event as well as distribute related messages of hepatitis to other community people.
Themes of World Hepatitis Day
1. World Hepatitis Day 2022 theme is “Hepatitis Can’t Wait”
2. The theme of 2020 is “Raise Your Voice to “Find Missing Millions”.
3. The theme of 2019 was “Missing Millions”.
4. The theme of 2018 was “Eliminate Hepatitis”.
5. The theme of 2017 was “Eliminate hepatitis”.
6. The theme of 2016 was “Prevent Hepatitis: It’s up to you”.
7. The theme of 2015 was “Prevention of Viral Hepatitis. Act now”.
8. The theme of 2014 was “Hepatitis: Think Again”.
9. The theme of 2013 was “More must be done to stop this silent killer”.
10. The theme of 2012 was “It’s closer than you think”.
11. The theme of 2011 was “Hepatitis affects everyone, everywhere. Know it. Confront it”.
12. The theme of 2010 was “This is hepatitis”.
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| July Social Events | Date of Celebration |
| National Doctors Day | 1st July |
| World Population Day | 11th July |
| National Flag Adoption Day | 22nd July |
| World Hepatitis Day | 28th July |