WHO Report Says Viral Hepatitis Is The Second-Leading Infectious Cause Of Death Globally

The Washington Post (4/14, Blakemore) says, “More than 6,000 people a day are infected with viral hepatitis – and progress fighting the disease has stalled, a recently released World Health Organization report suggests.” Deaths from the disease, particular hepatitis B, “are on the rise, the report notes, making viral hepatitis the second-leading cause of death among non-covid communicable diseases worldwide. In 2022, the authors write, viral hepatitis deaths increased to 1.3 million around the world, up from 1.1 million in 2019.” Although “new cases declined during that time, the report says the world is ‘off-track’ toward the WHO’s goal of reducing new hepatitis infections by 90 percent and deaths by 65 percent by 2030.”