Every minute, at least one person dies from chronic hepatitis in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region.
Hepatitis is a silent killer. Caused by a virus that has no symptoms, it quietly damages the liver for decades before ending in liver cancer and cirrhosis (scarring of the liver that reduces its ability to detoxify blood). Deaths due to hepatitis have increased over the past two decades, but many leaders and members of the public are still not well informed about the disease.
Hepatitis particularly affects our Region. Some 130 million people with chronic hepatitis live in the WHO Western Pacific Region. But less than one in five with the disease know their status, and less than one in 20 are on treatment. Without proper care, the two most common types of hepatitis – B and C – cause about 60% of liver cancer. This is why liver cancer is one of the top causes of death in this Region.
In Viet Nam, 7.8 million are living with hepatitis B and nearly one million are living with hepatitis C. This means one in nine people in Viet Nam is infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Hepatitis B and C cause nearly 80 000 liver cancer cases and 40 000 deaths each year. A study also found nearly 90% of patients with liver cancer were infected with HBV and/or HCV.
Nowadays, we can prevent and treat the disease. Hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective when the first dose is given to babies within 24 hours of birth and followed up with three further doses. People living with chronic hepatitis B can be treated with highly effective medicines to stop the disease from progressing and reduce the risk of it developing into liver cancer. People with hepatitis C can now be cured within three months by taking new oral medicines called direct acting antivirals. However, many people with hepatitis do not know they are infected and thus do not seek treatment. In Viet Nam, only around 10% of people living with HBV and HCV have been diagnosed and only around 30% of those diagnosed received treatment.
To eliminate this deadly disease, governments must invest in hepatitis testing and treatment services. Aside from it being the right thing to do for people’s health, it is a very wise investment, as it saves money by avoiding much more costly care for liver cancer and cirrhosis. Globally, we are aiming to reduce new viral hepatitis infections by 90% and deaths from chronic hepatitis by 65% by 2030 – from the baseline of 2015. To reach that goal, in Viet Nam, hepatitis services must be available for people in need. More efforts are needed to ensure hepatitis B and C medicines are accessible and affordable for people living with HBV and HCV.
Another vital action is to improve awareness of the problem. Put simply, if people don’t know about hepatitis, they won’t avoid infection, or seek testing and treatment. Instead, their health will be damaged and they may be unwittingly infecting others. In some countries, misunderstandings about hepatitis have led to stigma and discrimination towards people living with the disease, meaning that people may be less likely to seek the life-saving treatment they need. Lack of awareness about the health impact of hepatitis also means that not enough resources are allocated to tackling the disease.
So, on World Hepatitis Day, 28 July 2019, I call on everyone to play a part in fighting hepatitis. Make sure your children and other kids in your community get fully vaccinated. Educate yourself and others about the risk of viral hepatitis and how to get tested. If you have been diagnosed with hepatitis, speak with a health worker about your treatment. Join local advocacy events to increase awareness in your community and show your support for more investment towards eliminating the disease.
Let’s commit to eliminating hepatitis.