Governments will need to dedicate resources and funds to help eliminate viral hepatitis amid an international funding shortfall, a top disease elimination advocate has told Devex. Viral hepatitis may be the seventh leading cause of death worldwide, but it hasn’t been prioritized by the global health community up until now, said Charles Gore, president of Geneva-based World Hepatitis Alliance and executive committee member at the Coalition to Eradicate Viral Hepatitis in Asia-Pacific.
Now, however, governments are starting to step in, realizing the cost of inaction. “There is actually quite a good economic case for hepatitis … for the first time in the last few years, governments have realized [that] they need to tackle it now,” Gore said. “Previously, there's been no political will.”
Over 400 million people are currently living with chronic viral hepatitis, a disease of the liver that has been dubbed global health's “silent killer.” The condition is caused by five different viruses and can lead to liver cancer and death if left untreated. According to the Pennsylvania-based group Hepatitis B Foundation, 2 billion people (or approximately 1 out of 3) have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus, the most common type, during their lifetimes.
About the author
Lean Alfred Santos@DevexLeanAS
Lean Alfred Santos is a former Devex development reporter focusing on the development community in Asia-Pacific, including major players such as the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. He previously covered Philippine and international business and economic news, sports and politics.
