World Hepatitis Day is observed annually on July 28th. It is a global campaign organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, advocate for increased access to prevention, testing, and treatment services, and mobilize action to eliminate hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Previous year themes:

• 2011: Hepatitis affects everyone, everywhere. Know it. Confront it. Confront her.
• 2012: It's closer than you think.
• 2013: More must be done to stop this silent killer.
• 2014: Hepatitis: Think Again
• 2015: Prevention of viral Hepatitis. Act now.
• 2016: Know Hepatitis-Act now.
• 2017: Eliminate Hepatitis
• 2018: Test. Treat. Hepatitis
• 2019: Invest in eliminating hepatitis
• 2020: Hepatitis Free Future
• 2021: Hepatitis can't wait
• 2022: Bringing Hepatitis care closer to you
• 2023: Our life, our liver

History:

In Europe and the Middle East, different patient groups and Baby Muriel organized an inaugural International Hepatitis C Awareness day on October 1, 2004. However, many patient groups continued to mark 'hepatitis day' on disparate dates. This made May 19 the World Hepatitis Alliance’s first global World Hepatitis Day in 2008.

During the 63rd World Health Assembly (May, 2010), a resolution was passed that gave global endorsement to World Hepatitis Day as the major focus for national and international awareness raising efforts with July 28 as its new date (in commemoration of Nobel laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg who discovered hepatitis B virus and whose birthday falls on that day). “Whereas July 28th should be considered a worlds hepatitis day by which people would get educated about viral hepatitis disease as a problem of public health internationally addressed, it is also assumed that this will help bring closer preventive measures against this infection within member states” – reads one of the resolutions.

Today, more than one hundred countries across the world commemorate World Hepatitis Day each year through a variety of activities including but not limited to free screenings, poster campaigns, demonstrations, concerts or live shows on TV programs like talk shows among others.

The importance of World Hepatitis Day:

1. Awareness creation: This day raises awareness about hepatitis C and B infections, which are globally major contributors to liver disease, liver cancer and hepatic deaths. It also enlightens the society on how hepatitis is transmitted, its symptoms, prevention measures and available forms of treatment as well as stressing on the need for testing and early detection.
2. Prevention advocacy: Some of the preventive measures advocated by this day include; vaccination against viral hepatitis B, safe injection practices, blood safety measures, harm reduction strategies for people who inject drugs and promoting safer sex in order to avoid transmission of Hepatitis B and C. This emphasizes the importance of vaccination, education and change of behavior towards preventing hepatitis infections.
3. Testing and Treatment Promotion: On World Hepatitis Day there will be increased promotion of testing services as well as treatment for those with or at risk from HCV or HBV infection.It further advocates for affordable testing that is accessible universally plus antiviral therapy including care services that can reach marginalized populations devoid of healthcare accessibility challenges.
4. Fostering partnerships: The day is to help foster collaborations and partnerships between governments, healthcare providers, civil society organizations (CSOs), patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders in order to accelerate global hepatitis prevention, testing, treatment and care agendas. It encourages multi-sectoral approaches, knowledge sharing and coordinated action among stakeholders to address the complex issues that surround hepatitis elimination.
5. Mobilizing action: World Hepatitis Day organizes actions towards WHO’s aim of eradicating viral hepatitis as a public health hazard by 2030. This requires political will, financial resources allocation, policy formulation and programme implementation to expand access to hepatitis prevention services; scale up testing and treatment services for hepatitis; and achieve substantial reductions in morbidity and mortality due to viral hepatitis globally.

On World Hepatitis Day, these various activities, events, and campaigns are organized by governments, healthcare organizations, patient advocacy groups, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders worldwide. Through these collective efforts, World Hepatitis Day contributes to saving lives, reducing liver disease burden, and advancing the goal of hepatitis elimination globally.