It is estimated that around 7.3 million Filipinos live with chronic hepatitis B infection, and 700 000 with hepatitis C infection. Together, they claim tens of thousands of lives each year. Liver cancer is the third most common cancer in the Philippines. On World Hepatitis Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on policy-makers, health workers and the public to work towards the complete elimination of hepatitis by 2030.
“Viral hepatitis infection is widely spread, affecting many Filipinos every day. The Government of the Philippines has made great strides to curb this silent epidemic in the country” said Dr Gundo Weiler, WHO Country Representative in the Philippines. “We must continue to build on this momentum and intensify efforts to raise awareness, increase access to hepatitis testing and to provide appropriate treatment to the communities already affected.”
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. Types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people around the world and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.
The Philippines has long been working towards hepatitis B control. In May 2011, the former President Aquino signed the Mandatory Infants and Children Health Immunization Act that requires all infants to be given Hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The Government also secures 100% of funds for procurement of hepatitis B vaccine rather than relying on donor support for funds.
In addition to this, the Philippines also joined senior officials from WHO Member States (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Viet Nam) in Hong Kong, earlier this year, to discuss how the complete elimination of hepatitis by 2030 will be achieved. This was the first-ever meeting of Regional hepatitis programme focal points in high-burden countries following the World Health Assembly endorsement of the hepatitis resolution.
Hepatitis is fully preventable and treatable: there are effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B, and over 90% of people with hepatitis C can be cured with treatment. The vision of eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 can be achieved, if people and countries affected by this disease were better equipped and enabled to know hepatitis and act now.