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Calling for "bold political leadership" ahead of World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on countries to take advantage of recent reductions in the costs of diagnosing and treating cancer. Viral hepatitis and to invest more in the elimination of diseases.
A new WHO study, released Friday in the Lancet Global Health, revealed that investing $ 6 billion a year to eliminate hepatitis in 67 low- and middle-income countries would help prevent HIV infection. prevent 4.5 million premature deaths by 2030, and more than 26 million deaths thereafter. target date.
A total of $ 58.7 billion is needed to eliminate viral hepatitis as a threat to public health in these 67 countries by 2030. This means reducing the number of new infections in the world. hepatitis 90% and the number of deaths of 65%.
"Today, 80% of people living with hepatitis can not get the services they need to prevent, detect and treat this disease," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"On World Hepatitis Day, we call for bold political leadership, with investments at the height. We call on all countries to integrate hepatitis services into benefit packages as part of their journey to universal health coverage, "said the UN chief health official.
By investing now in diagnostic tests and drugs to treat hepatitis B and C, countries can save lives and reduce the costs badociated with long-term care for cirrhosis and liver cancer resulting from a hepatitis untreated.
According to WHO, some countries are already taking action. The Indian government, for example, has announced that it will offer free testing and treatment for hepatitis B and C as part of its universal health coverage plan. This has been facilitated by the reduction of drug prices. In India, hepatitis C treatment costs less than $ 40 and one year of hepatitis B treatment costs less than $ 30. At these prices, the cure for hepatitis C will save on health costs in three years.
The Government of Pakistan has also been able to obtain a cure for hepatitis C at equally low prices. Providing a cure to all people currently diagnosed with hepatitis C could also reduce health care costs in Pakistan by now three years. Meanwhile, Pakistan is facing one of the highest annual infection rates of the hepatitis C virus and is launching a new infection control and injection safety plan at the same time. occasion of World Hepatitis Day to stop transmission.
World Day Against Hepatitis
The WHO Global Strategy on Hepatitis, endorsed by all WHO Member States, aims to reduce by 90% the number of new hepatitis infections and by 65% the number of deaths, between 2016 and 2030.
At the 2019 edition of World Hepatitis Day – the day is celebrated on July 29 – the WHO called on all countries to "invest in eliminating the disease." Hepatitis "by quantifying, budgeting and funding elimination services as part of their universal health coverage plans.
Although WHO Member States have largely supported the adoption of the WHO Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis, 124 out of 194 countries with hepatitis 40% do not have budget lines dedicated to support phase-out efforts.
There are five types of viral hepatitis – A, B, C, D, and E. More than 95% of deaths are due to chronic infections with hepatitis B and C, while hepatitis A and E rarely cause illness. life in danger. Hepatitis D is an additional infection occurring in people living with hepatitis B.
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