Global Hepatitis Report 2024:
According to the Global Hepatitis Report 2024 released by the World Health Organisation (WHO), India is one of the countries with the highest burden of viral hepatitis.
- Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver.
- It can be an acute (short-term) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection.
- There are different types of hepatitis, with different causes:
- Viral hepatitis: It is the most common type and is caused by one of several hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E.
- Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy alcohol use.
- Toxic hepatitis can be caused by certain poisons, chemicals, medicines, or supplements.
- Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic type in which your body’s immune system attacks your liver. The cause is not known, but genetics and one’s environment may play a role.
- Symptoms: Some people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. Common symptoms include: Fever, Fatigue, Loss of appetite, Nausea and/or vomiting etc.
- Treatment: Treatment for hepatitis depends on which type one has and whether it is acute or chronic. Acute viral hepatitis often goes away on its own. There are different medicines to treat the different chronic types of hepatitis.
