The Global Hepatitis Epidemic Rages On

In terms of global killers, hepatitis now trumps HIV and equals tuberculosis. According to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 1.34 million people died from hepatitis B and C in 2015, and about 325 million people are living with these infections. The numbers are particularly disconcerting because these viral illnesses are both preventable and treatable. Yet there is reason to be optimistic that the tide of these infectious and fatal diseases could now be forced to recede.

Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) are two distinct viruses that colonize the liver. Babies born in countries with high rates of HBV are particularly at risk for the disease: Infected mothers can transmit the pathogen to infants during birth. Sex and needle sharing are also common routes for the