World Hepatitis Day — July 28th World Hepatitis Day is now recognized annually on July 28th, the birthday of Dr. Baruch Blumberg (1925-2011). Dr. Blumberg discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and two years later developed the first hepatitis B vaccine and for these achievements won the Nobel Prize.
The first official WHO World Hepatitis Day aims to increase awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis and the diseases it causes. It provides an opportunity to strengthen prevention, screening, vaccination, and control of viral hepatitis and to coordinate a global response to hepatitis.
Hepatitis viruses can cause inflammation of the liver, chronic viral hepatitis infection can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Viral hepatitis is a major global health threat with around 350 million people living with chronic hepatitis B and around 170 million people living with chronic hepatitis C.
Resources: World Health Organization (WHO) – World Hepatitis Day http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_hepatitis_day/en/index.html
World Hepatitis Alliance – World Hepatitis Day http://worldhepatitisalliance.org/WorldHepatitisDay.aspx