We know that hepatitis is commonly misunderstood so this World Hepatitis Day, we’re sharing 3 quick facts about it:

  1. Viral hepatitis kills 1.5 million people worldwide each year. That’s as many people as HIV/AIDS.[1] Regarding Hepatitis C specifically, 150 million are infected around the world. Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver.[2]
  2. Rethink hepatitis C: while hep C can be transmitted by sharing needles, people can also become infected through body piercings, tattoos and blood transfusions. Contaminated medical equipment or accidental pricks healthcare workers may face are other ways that someone could become infected. Recognizing the misinformation around hepatitis C and the fact that many people remain unaware that they’re infected, sometimes even for decades, the World Health Organization released its first hepatitis C treatment guidelines earlier this year.[3]
  3. One of the most effective treatments for hepatitis C is out of reach due to cost. Last year, Gilead Sciences released Sovaldi, hailed as a miracle drug for hepatitis C. Priced at $84,000 per treatment or $1,000 per pill, this makes the treatment inaccessible to most people who need it. Even in wealthy countries, doctors, advocacy groups, insurers, patients, and governments are fighting back on the price. Read about just some of the backlash in The Guardian, Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle and CBC News. While the price of the drug isn’t good news, the press that it’s garnering might actually help increase much-needed awareness for dangerously high medicine prices.

 

This World Hepatitis Day, add your support for access to affordable medicine at www.accessourmedicine.com.

#WorldHepatitisDay #Hepatitis #ThinkHepatitis

 

[1]  World Hepatitis Alliance http://www.worldhepatitisday.org/

[2] Centers for Disease Control & Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/c/cfaq.htm

[3] World Health Organization http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2014/hepatitis-guidelines/en/