This article originally appeared in our sister brand, ContagionLive.
Days of awareness for medical conditions and diseases help to remind the public about such health conditions and provide education. They are also an opportunity for patients, clinicians, and researchers to coalesce around specific diseases and conditions.
Globally, this Sunday marks the annual World Hepatitis Day, and it began with the adoption of a resolution passed at the World Health Assembly back in 2010.1 The day’s primary focus is for national and international awareness about hepatitis. Originally celebrated on a different day, the date was changed to July 28 annually to celebrate and honor Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg, MD, DPhil, discoverer of the hepatitis B virus, whose birthday is on that date.1
Additionally, the first Hepatitis Awareness Month has been celebrated in the US since 2001.
Through the years, exciting advances have been made to identify different strains of hepatitis, bring about curative therapies, and the development of vaccines. On the education front, in 1997, the first satellite teleconference on hepatitis was cosponsored by the CDC and Hepatitis Foundation International (HFI). The CDC distributed 22,000 videos of that teleconference to physicians and health departments nationwide. These initial steps laid the groundwork for the development of sorely needed research. For example, there was the long-awaited identification of the hepatitis C virus that was discovered by Michael Houghton, PhD, who has since developed an investigational HCV vaccine that is currently being studied.
The treacherous hepatitis C viruses viciously attack the body's amazing internal, life-creating, and sustaining chemical refinery—the tragically ignored liver. This miraculous organ and hundreds of amazing liver cells work nonstop, converting the food we ingest into hundreds of essential life-supporting body parts and functions that keep our bodies functioning 24/7.
What You Need to Know
World Hepatitis Day is celebrated annually on July 28 to raise awareness about hepatitis, educate the public, and support research and treatment efforts. This date honors Nobel Laureate Baruch Samuel Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus, with his birthday on this date.
Hepatitis Awareness Month has been celebrated in the United States since 2001, and significant steps were taken earlier, such as the First Satellite Teleconference on Hepatitis C in 1997, co-sponsored by the CDC and Hepatitis Foundation International. These efforts have led to crucial research and the development of treatments.
The liver is vital in numerous bodily functions, from energy production to hormone creation. Hepatitis C viruses target and destroy liver cells, leading to conditions like cirrhosis. Despite the availability of effective treatments, public awareness, and treatment adherence are crucial, as untreated hepatitis can severely impact liver health and overall well-being, particularly among the younger generation.
They create the energy we use to get up each day, get dressed, and be active human beings. They also make strong muscles and bones, clotting factors to prevent hemorrhages from even a small laceration, and hundreds more essential body functions, including sex hormones, we all take for granted.
Tragically, these liver cells are favorite targets of hepatitis C and like to destroy their ability to keep all our body parts functioning. Amazing medications destroy hepatitis viruses; however, the liver cannot let its owner know it is in trouble. It is up to us to share this information with everyone, especially those who are already infected, to get treated and prevent the spread of a curable disease.
