Health – World Hepatitis Day

	It is that time again, that another health related day is just around the corner - World Hepatitis Day celebrated on July 28th. What is Hepatitis? It is a disease, which causes inflammation of the liver. The name derived from the Greeks literally translates into that. It can range from simple implications to serious ones, from viral fever to even Death. Every disease is categorized as acute or chronic. Acute meaning the rabbit occurring suddenly with visible symptoms. Whereas chronic is the turtle from the story taking its time building up without usual symptoms. Hepatitis is of 5 types- A, B, C, D and E. Coming back to July 28, why use the term celebrate, it's definitely not Hepatitis birthday. Yet, I used the term celebrate is because this year is crucial, as the WHO's theme for World Hepatitis Day is Elimination. To raise awareness about it, and educate people how to prevent and protect themselves against Hepatitis. Now one may wonder when we have so many other deadlier problems, like Ebola, AIDS, Brain Tumors, Cancer, Heart Problems etc. to consider, why to devote a day and strategy to eliminate hepatitis. That my dear reader is attributing to the fact that it causes around 1.4 million deaths every year. That alone is a sad fact. But hepatitis is also responsible as the cause for 70-80% liver cancer cases. Hence the need. The main goal of this year's theme is to eliminate Viral Hepatitis as a global life endangering threat by 2030. Also, the first 6 years strategy is to bring about a reduction in global mortality by 10%, meaning lesser deaths, in numbers that figure is to bring it down to about 0.5 million. Another aspect is to bring the reduction of 30% in new cases of Hepatitis B and C. Essentially A, D and E are self-limiting, whereas C is the viral infection that can spread easily, open to epidemics.  Hepatitis B causes scarring of the liver known as Cirrhosis and also leads up to liver cancer. That's why more emphasis on these categories. Lastly making treatment available to all those who need it. Almost 90% of hepatitis C cases can be cured provided the right treatment. So the theme is achievable, provided all local authorities, government, media, policy makers, influential people and all individuals, you and I make an effort to spread awareness. We can all contribute to make it better.