What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver which can be due to infectious and non-infectious causes, and in the long run can lead to severe liver damage, liver cancer and subsequently death.
Types of Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Often spreads through contaminated food or water. It is an acute infection and does not cause chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis B
Spreads through infected blood, other infected body fluids, or from an infected mother to her baby (during childbirth); can become chronic.
Hepatitis C
Primarily spread through blood, especially sharing needles, and can lead to chronic liver disease and liver cancer.
Hepatitis D
Only occurs in people who already have the Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis E
Similar to Hepatitis A, spread through contaminated food and water, especially in areas with poor sanitation.
Ou charity’s focus is on Viral Hepatitis Type B and C that are endemic to Pakistan. These two strains lead to chronic disease globally in hundreds of millions of people and together are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and viral hepatitis-related deaths. They are among the main infectious disease killers, causing an estimated 1.3 million deaths per year. An estimated 304 million people worldwide live with hepatitis B or C, and for most, testing and treatment remain beyond reach.
Many people with viral hepatitis exhibit only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of viral hepatitis may include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal discomfort, dark-coloured urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
Hepatitis B and C can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer. These patients are at risk of premature death.
Hepatitis B can be prevented with vaccines, and Hepatitis is curable with anti-viral medicines, but access to diagnosis and treatment remains low in Pakistan, and globally.
