Spreading via sexual intercourse, hepatitis will overtake tuberculosis as the deadliest infection

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Hepatitis, which is spread through sexual contact, is likely to replace tuberculosis (TB) as the deadliest infectious disease in the world. The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that hepatitis B and C now cause the same number of deaths as TB victims, despite the existence of vaccines and treatments for hepatitis.

In 2022, WHO data shows that these two hepatitis viruses will cause 1.3 million deaths. WHO estimates that if current trends continue, hepatitis will kill more people each year than malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS combined by 2040.

“Despite progress in preventing hepatitis infections globally, deaths continue to rise because too few hepatitis sufferers are diagnosed and treated,” said WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as reported by The SunTuesday (16/4/2024).

Doctor from Imperial College London, Graham Cooke, said that viral hepatitis had been neglected in global attention, especially because of the focus on HIV, TB and malaria. Two-thirds of the global hepatitis burden occurs in 10 countries, including China, India, Nigeria and Russia.

In the UK, it is estimated that around 270,000 people are living with hepatitis B and C, but at least half are undiagnosed. Hepatitis refers to infection with five different forms of the virus, namely A, B, C, D, and E.

Two types of viruses, namely hepatitis B and C, can cause long-term illness and death. Symptoms of hepatitis can include muscle pain, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and others, but they often do not appear, making it difficult to detect.