World Hepatitis Day 2022: Theme, History, and Significance

The theme for this year on world hepatitis day is 'bringing hepatitis care closer to you'.

Know the history, significance and theme of world hepatitis day 2022

(image: iStock)

World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on 28 July every year to raise awareness among people about the viral disease. The hepatitis virus is of various types or we can say it has five primary strains, known as types A, B, C, D, and E.

They all cause liver disease, but they are all different from each other in terms of origin, transmission, and severity.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 354 million people in the world are living with hepatitis B and C. It is difficult to diagnose and treat the condition.

Let's have a quick look at the theme, history, and significance of World Hepatitis day 2022.

World Hepatitis Day 2022: Theme

The theme for world hepatitis day 2022 is ‘Bringing hepatitis care closer to you.’ The main of the theme is to focus on raising awareness of the need to make hepatitis care more accessible.

World Hepatitis Day 2022: History

The World Health Organisation launched a campaign to make the world free of hepatitis. The World Hepatitis Alliance was founded in the year 2007 and the first community-organized World Hepatitis Day was observed in 2008.

It was in the year 1967 that American Physician Baruch Samuel Blumberg discovered the Hepatitis B virus. And we celebrate world hepatitis day to honor the Nobel Prize-winning scientist on his birthday, July 28. Samuel Blumberg discovered hepatitis B and invented a test as well as vaccination for the same.

World Hepatitis Day 2022: Significance

World Hepatitis Day is observed to spread awareness about the various forms of hepatitis and the ways of its transmission. The day also aims to improve the management, detection, and prevention of viral hepatitis and other related diseases.

The day also serves as a reminder to increase hepatitis B vaccination rates. The day also seeks the attention of government and medical organizations to build a collective global hepatitis action plan.