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WHO’s hepatitis report reveals global impact of the disease. Awareness and education around hepatitis remain poor, with just 20% of people living with hep C aware of their status after getting tested, according to a new report.
The World Health Organization’s first-of-its-kind investigation of the global hepatitis situation also found that only 9% of people living with hepatitis B knew they were affected.
Between them the two strains account for 96% of all hepatitis deaths, with the condition currently accounting for an annual death toll of 1.34 million people.
The WHO says the virus casts its net wider than that, with 325 million people (4.4% of the world’s population) thought to be carriers of the hep C or B virus.
Raquel Peck, CEO of WHA, said: “We need to use this report to advocate for a public health approach so that testing and treatment are rolled out at the scale necessary to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a healthy life.
“We have the knowledge, what we need now is action.”
Listen up Canada!!!