Viral Hepatitis, a group of diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, impacts more than 325 million people worldwide causing about 1 million deaths annually. The outcomes of the disease may include acute and chronic liver disease, sometimes leading to severe symptoms, development of liver cancer or even death. Today we have vaccines for hepatitis’ types A and B. Treatment options are available for the other types of hepatitis, and their effectiveness relies heavily on the timely diagnosis of the disease.
Depending on the type, hepatitis can be transmitted through sharing needles, close contact, contaminated food and water and from mothers to newborns. This year’s theme is «Hepatitis-free future» focusing on prevention of the infection among mothers and newborns.