- 1.34 million people were killed by viral hepatitis in 2016 alone
- The World Health Organization has a plan to eliminate the virus by 2030, but many countries, including the US, aren't making it 'a political priority'
- Hepatitis C kills more people in the US than any other infection, and is only spreading faster with the opioid epidemic
PUBLISHED: 18:43 EDT, 14 September 2017 | UPDATED: 22:54 EDT, 14 September 2017
Viral hepatitis is responsible for more premature deaths worldwide than HIV, tuberculosis or malaria.
The virus killed 1.34 million people in 2016 alone - 140,000 more than tuberculosis, 340,000 more than HIV and 621,00 more than malaria.
Alongside heart disease, road accidents and Alzheimer's disease, viral hepatitis is one of the top ten killers in the world.
Researchers say that, in spite of advancements that have made both hepatitis B and hepatitis C much more treatable, viral hepatitis is not a high enough political priority internationally.
The study warns that the surge in viral hepatitis cases is driven in part by the opioid epidemic
Viral hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver and related health problems. The most common types are hepatitis A, B and C.
Hepatitis A is the most mild and least common form of the virus. Hepatitis C is the most common form and a highly effective cure was discovered in 2014.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 257 million people were infected with hepatitis B in 2015. Treatments have recently been developed for chronic hepatitis B, which can lead to chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.
The new study, published by Global Health Metrics is likely the most comprehensive data set on hepatitis compiled to date.
'Hepatitis has suffered from lack of prior and neglect,' says Raquel Peck, CEO of the World Hepatitis Alliance, which was one of the study's collaborators.
Read - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4886060/Viral-hepatitis-kills-1-34-million-worldwide.html#ixzz4t46sEqrm