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World Hepatitis Day is observed on 28 July every year.
It is one of the World Health Organization's official global public-health days.
The date marks the birthday of Nobel laureate Dr Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the Hepatitis B virus.
It raises awareness of viral hepatitis, a major cause of liver disease and deaths.
The WHO aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public-health threat by 2030.
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver, most often caused by viruses labelled A, B, C, D and E. Types A and E usually spread through contaminated food or water and are often short-lived; types B and C spread through blood and body fluids and can become chronic, leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer, which is why they cause most hepatitis deaths. Vaccines exist for hepatitis B (and A), and effective treatments exist for B and C, so awareness, testing and vaccination are central to control.
Simple Analogy: Think of the five hepatitis viruses as different intruders attacking the same organ, the liver, by different routes.
UN agency for global public health; leads World Hepatitis Day and the 2030 elimination goal
General Awareness > Important Days and Health
GS Paper 2 > Health; Global Health Bodies
Inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by viruses A to E.
World Health Organization, the UN's global public-health agency, headquartered in Geneva.