Hepatitis can’t wait. This is the theme of 2021’s World Hepatitis Day, a health-centered day of recognition observed annually every July 28. The date coincides with the birthdate of Nobel Laureate Dr. Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus and developed the vaccine for it. Although the day’s origins trace back to 2004 in Europe and the Middle East, it was made official globally by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the 63rd World Health Assembly in May 2010.
The condition of hepatitis refers to inflammation of one’s liver tissue. Symptoms include yellowing of the skin and jaundice (the yellowing of the whites of the eyes). Other common symptoms include abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, lack of appetite, and diarrhea. It is generally accepted that about 600 million people worldwide have Hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E. The chief cause is viral, but it is also widely manifest from alcohol consumption, toxins, and compromised immune systems.
A big concern, according to the World Hepatitis Alliance, is that nearly 300 million other people around the world are living with viral hepatitis and don’t know it. This is why the last World Hepatitis Day’s theme was “Find the Missing Millions.” The Alliance is asking for your participation again this year to raise awareness of hepatitis and to donate toward research funding. Additionally, the Alliance suggests that people take to social media and share links and pages relating to education on this condition – and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WorldHepatitisDay.
The long-term hope is that together we can eliminate viral hepatitis worldwide.
