The number of deaths from viral hepatitis worldwide increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022. These figures equate to approximately 3500 deaths per day due to the disease, which is the second leading cause of mortality from infectious agents globally.
These data are part of the recently released Global Hepatitis Report 2024, which was published by the World Health Organization (WHO) during the World Hepatitis Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
The report reveals that despite advances in diagnostic tools and treatment options, global treatment rates and coverage for detection tests have stagnated.
"This report paints a concerning picture: Despite global progress in preventing hepatitis infections, deaths are increasing because very few people with hepatitis are being diagnosed and treated," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD.
Hepatitis B significantly is associated with the highest mortality rate. It accounted for 83% of deaths from the disease in 2022. Meanwhile, hepatitis C was responsible for 17% of deaths. The mortality of other, less common types of hepatitis was not considered in the ranking.
The report also indicates that more than 6000 people worldwide are infected with viral hepatitis every day. The 2.2 million new cases in 2022 represent a slight decrease from 2.5 million in 2019, but the WHO considers the incidence high.
The organization's updated statistics indicate that about 254 million people had hepatitis B in 2022, while 50 million had type C.
"Besides the deaths, the number of new cases every year is also striking. These are diseases that continue to spread. In the case of hepatitis C, the spread results from lack of access to disposable or properly sterilized sharp materials," said Thor Dantas, MD, PhD, a physician and director of the Brazilian Society of Hepatology's Viral Hepatitis Committee.
The situation of hepatitis B is particularly problematic, given that there is a safe and effective vaccine against it, said Dantas. "It's remarkable that we continue to have so many new cases worldwide. This shows that we are failing in access to preventive measures for control and spread."
Half of chronic hepatitis B and C cases occur in people between ages 30 and 54 years, while 12% affect children. There are more infections among men, who represent 58% of all cases.
The WHO also drew attention to the difficulty of accessing diagnosis and treatment. Only 13% of people with chronic hepatitis B infection were diagnosed, while only 3% — equivalent to 7 million people — received antiviral therapy by the end of 2022. This result is well below the WHO's global target, which aims to treat 80% of cases by 2030.
Brazil has a higher diagnostic rate than the global average but is still below the target. According to the report, in 2022, the country diagnosed 34.2% of all hepatitis B infections. However, treatment coverage remains low: 3.6% of the total.
For hepatitis C, the scenario is somewhat different. During the same period, Brazil diagnosed 36% of total cases, with a treatment rate of 24%.
In 2022, Brazil had 2578 deaths from hepatitis B and 2977 from hepatitis C.
Because hepatitis is a silent disease, diagnosis often comes late, when the disease is already quite advanced, said Dantas. "Viral hepatitis evolves over the years essentially asymptomatically. Malaria shows symptoms, and tuberculosis shows symptoms. Viral hepatitis does not. They are only discovered through active searching."
The WHO report shows significant regional differences in infection rates. Almost two thirds of cases are concentrated in the following 10 countries: China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Russia.
In terms of hepatitis C incidence, Brazil ranks 15th globally, with 536,000 cases in 2022, representing 1.1% of the global total. The list is led by Pakistan, with 8.8 million cases, equivalent to 17.8% of the total. Next are India, with 5.5 million (11.2%), and China, with 4 million (8.1%).
In addition to regional differences, the report also reveals profound disparities in the prices paid for major treatments.
"Price disparities between, and even within, WHO regions persist, with many countries paying above global reference values, including for nonpatented medications," according to the report.
This story was translated from the Medscape Portuguese edition using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.