# Global Data Shows that Mortality from Viral Hepatitis B and C in Africa is Becoming a Major Threat- World Health Organization **URL:** \ **Category:** General Public Health Discussions\ **Tags:** outbreak, health-data, public-health, publichealthissues\ **Created:** [31 August 2022 12:40 UTC](http://staging.aphan.africa/t/global-data-shows-that-mortality-from-viral-hepatitis-b-and-c-in-africa-is-becoming-a-major-threat-world-health-organization/1782 "2022-08-31T12:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nkachukwu](http://staging.aphan.africa/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@Nkachukwu](http://staging.aphan.africa/u/Nkachukwu)\ **Post date:** [31 August 2022 12:40 UTC](http://staging.aphan.africa/t/global-data-shows-that-mortality-from-viral-hepatitis-b-and-c-in-africa-is-becoming-a-major-threat-world-health-organization/1782/1 "2022-08-31T12:40:52Z")
**Global Data Shows that Mortality from Viral Hepatitis B and C in Africa is Becoming a Major Threat- World Health Organization.** ![](http://staging.aphan.africa/uploads/default/original/1X/2c8627a8fffc906410447b89d27adf8e8e9a7cd5.jpeg) Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019. Accessible at: [Global Viral Hepatitis | Viral Hepatitis | CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/global/) In Africa, efforts to prevent and control viral hepatitis have improved [(World Health Organization, 2017)](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565455). However,despite this improvement, attention is needed to eradicate hepatitis B and C. This is because 95% of hepatitis morbidity and mortality remain attributable to hepatitis B and C [(WHO, n.d.).](https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/hepatitis) Daily, over 300 people are at risk of contracting viral hepatitis B and C globally, and over 3,000 deaths are attributable to viral hepatitis-related liver diseases [(World Health Organization, 2022).](https://www.afro.who.int/news/91-million-africans-infected-hepatitis-b-or-c) Globally in 2019, there were: 1. 296 million people living with hepatitis B 2. 58 million people living with hepatitis C 3. 1.5 million new cases of chronic hepatitis B [(Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021)](https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/global/index.htm#ref01). Currently, at least 91 million cases of Hepatitis B or C are Africans [(World Health Organization, 2022)](https://www.afro.who.int/news/91-million-africans-infected-hepatitis-b-or-c). Despite the availability of diagnostic tools and effective treatment, over 90% of people living with hepatitis B and C in Africa don’t have access to the care they need [(World Health Organization, 2022)](https://www.afro.who.int/news/91-million-africans-infected-hepatitis-b-or-c). Quoting the words of Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, The WHO African Regional Director: ‘‘Hepatitis has been called the silent epidemic, but this scorecard is sounding an alarm for the region and the world to hear.’’ In 2016, [WHO’s World Health Assembly (WHA) set global targets of achieving a 90% reduction in hepatitis B and C incidence by 2030.](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565455) How can we help eradicate hepatitis B and C in Africa? ---
**Author:** ![Nazreen](http://staging.aphan.africa/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/c77e96/32.png) [@Nazreen](http://staging.aphan.africa/u/Nazreen)\ **Post date:** [14 September 2022 21:33 UTC](http://staging.aphan.africa/t/global-data-shows-that-mortality-from-viral-hepatitis-b-and-c-in-africa-is-becoming-a-major-threat-world-health-organization/1782/2 "2022-09-14T21:33:56Z")
In my opinion, creating more awareness about Hepatitis will go a long way. This is because I feel there’s still a huge information gap outside there. So, more work needs to be done in creating more awareness and publicly offering a vaccine just the way polio vaccine was administered in the past.