World Hepatitis Day 2024

It is time to act!

28 JULY 2024

Under the theme “It’s time for action”, this year’s World Hepatitis Day highlights the need for collaborative action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment in countries.

Hepatitis B and C are silent chronic infections that, without proper diagnosis, can progress to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer, causing a significant negative impact on the lives of people and communities in our Region. In the Americas, nearly 80,000 new infections of hepatitis B and C arise each year, which are mostly going undetected.

The result? Over 100,000 hepatitis-related deaths every single year.
The good news is that there are medications available that cure hepatitis C, as well as effective treatments to control hepatitis B.

Here's the key: prevention is possible! Vaccines and effective treatments exist, offering hope for all. Hepatitis B vaccine is available for both adults and children, while safe oral treatments can cure hepatitis C. Knowing their status and accessing treatment is crucial for pregnant women with chronic viral hepatitis B to prevent mother-to-child transmission. PAHO works hand in hand with countries in the region to scale-up access to diagnostic tests, medicines, and vaccines for viral hepatitis through PAHO's Strategic Fund and the Revolving Fund.

Together, we can eliminate hepatitis in the Region of the Americas and achieve PAHO's elimination goals by 2030. Let's reduce the number of new cases and prevent needless deaths caused by hepatitis B and C infections.