On World Hepatitis Day, organisations call on SA government to
protect infants with Hepatitis B jab at birth & reduce patent
barriers to Hepatitis B therapies.
On World Hepatitis Day, 25 organisations and individuals
from around the world have called on the South African Department of Health
(DOH) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to address the public health
threat of hepatitis, by implementing hepatitis B immunisation at birth, and
reforming national patent laws to promote access to more affordable hepatitis
therapies.
Hepatitis B is highly endemic
in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa, where around 8%
of people are chronically infected, and the rates of hepatitis B-related liver
cancer are some of the highest in the world. Globally, viral hepatitis causes
approximately 1.3 million deaths every year—more than either malaria or
tuberculosis—with around 240 million people chronically infected with hepatitis
B virus (HBV), and 140 million people with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Either of
these viruses can result in liver failure and liver cancer.
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Labels: South Africa, WHD