Hepatitis affects one in 12 people and kills 1 million each year, says WHO

On World Day of Struggle against Viral Hepatitis, remembered today (28), the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 500 million people worldwide suffer from some type of chronic disease due to hepatitis infection. The figure represents one in 12 people. The calculations also indicate that one million die each year because of illness.

The campaign theme this year is It's closer than you think (It's closer than you think - in free translation). The goal is to raise awareness in relation to different types of hepatitis, as each one is transmitted, who is at greatest risk, such as to prevent and treat disease.

According to WHO, despite strong impact on the health of a person infected hepatitis disease remains unknown for many undiagnosed in most cases and therefore untreated.

Among the five types of viruses responsible for hepatitis, types B and C, according to the organization, are of most concern because of the large proportion of people infected and not show symptoms at an early stage - only when the condition became chronic . The two types are the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and account for 80% of cases of liver cancer.

Infection by types B, C and D occurs through contact with the blood of infected persons and in the case of type B and C, also through unprotected sex. Type D only affects people who were infected with type B. Since types A and E are typically transmitted through contact with contaminated water and food and are associated with poor conditions of sanitation and personal hygiene.

WHO figures indicate that 1.4 million infections with hepatitis A are reported every year in the world, while 2 billion people are infected with type B and 150 million with type C.

In Brazil, the balance sheet of the Ministry of Health indicates that 33 000 cases of viral hepatitis are recorded every year. The largest number of infections in the last 14 years is the type B, totaling 120,000 cases between 1999 and 2011.

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