Once again, we’re approaching the annual World Hepatitis Day that occurs each year on July 28th. The theme this year, “Find the Missing Millions,” reminds all of us that there continues to be 300 million people living with viral hepatitis worldwide who do not yet know that there’s a deadly disease in their blood. Getting a diagnosis simply must happen before there’s a chance for treatment.
There are several types of viral hepatitis infection, with hepatitis C being one of the most common (and deadly) types. If left untreated, hepatitis C can damage the liver and lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and necessitate a liver transplant.
Although hepatitis C presents serious health risks to infected individuals, the good news here is that available treatments can cure nearly every case of hepatitis C infection. The goal of World Hepatitis Day is to increase awareness so more people can get diagnosed and then access the treatment that could save their lives.
As the organizers of World Hepatitis Day point out: together, it is possible to see the end of viral hepatitis in the next ten years or so. Saying goodbye to hepatitis C by 2030 could happen! Here at BioPlus we stand ready to deliver live-saving hepatitis C medications to patients who need them. Won’t you join in the efforts with us? Encourage all Baby Boomers to get a one-time screening for hepatitis C infection, as well as anyone else with a hepatitis C risk factor, such as a history of IV drug use or a blood transfusion prior to 1992