Hepatitis becomes second leading infectious cause of death globally: WHO

ISLAMABAD: Around 3,500 people are dying globally due to hepatitis B and C infections as new data from 187 countries show that the estimated number of deaths from viral hepatitis increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022.

Of these, 83 percent were caused by hepatitis B and 17 percent by hepatitis C, World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, the disease is the second leading infectious cause of death globally – with 1.3 million deaths per year, the same as tuberculosis, a top infectious killer.

The report released at the World Hepatitis Summit highlights that despite better tools for diagnosis and treatment as well as decreasing product prices, testing and treatment coverage rates have stalled. But, reaching the WHO elimination goal by 2030 should still be achievable, if swift actions are taken.

In Pakistan, 4.55 million people are affected by HBV and 8.74 million people are affected by HCV. Despite the hepatitis control and prevention programs run by the government of Pakistan, the prevalence of HBV and HCV is increasing in the country

“This report paints a troubling picture: despite progress globally in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are rising because far too few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“WHO is committed to supporting countries to use all the tools at their disposal - at access prices - to save lives and turn this trend around.”

Updated WHO estimates indicate that 254 million people live with hepatitis B and 50 million with hepatitis C in 2022. Half the burden of chronic hepatitis B and C infections is among people 30–54 years old, with 12 percent among children under 18 years of age. Men account for 58 percent of all cases.

New incidence estimates indicate a slight decrease compared to 2019, but the overall incidence of viral hepatitis remains high. In 2022, there were 2.2 million new infections, down from 2.5 million in 2019.