Jefferies M, Rauff B, Rashid H, Lam T, Rafiq S. Update on global epidemiology of viral hepatitis and preventive strategies. World J Clin Cases 2018; 6(13): 589-599 [PMID: 30430114 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i13.589]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Meryem Jefferies, PhD, Senior Scientist, Drug Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, North Parramatta NSW 2151, Australia. meryemjefferies@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Meryem Jefferies, Thao Lam, Drug Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, North Parramatta NSW 2151, Australia
Bisma Rauff, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Hospital, Sydney Medical School University of Sydney, Westmead NSW 2145, Australia
Harunor Rashid, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and the Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
Shafquat Rafiq, Croydon University Hospital NHS Trust, Croydon SE23 2SP, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Jefferies M conducted literature search, sifted the titles, identified full texts, created the content, abstracted the data wrote the first version of the manuscript, reviewed the references, completed final revision of the manuscript; Rauff B helped with literature search and revision of the manuscript; Rafiq S updated the figures, prepared video record; Rashid H and Lam T provided study concept and critical revision of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Nothing to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Meryem Jefferies, PhD, Senior Scientist, Drug Health, Western Sydney Local Health District, North Parramatta NSW 2151, Australia. meryemjefferies@gmail.com
Telephone: +61-437-874156
Received: May 29, 2018 Peer-review started: May 29, 2018 First decision: July 9, 2018 Revised: September 7, 2018 Accepted: October 16, 2018 Article in press: October 16, 2018 Published online: November 6, 2018 Processing time: 161 Days and 22.2 Hours
Abstract
Viral hepatitis is one of the major public health concerns around the world but until recently it has drawn little attention or funding from global health policymakers. Every year 1.4 million people die from viral hepatitis-related cirrhosis and liver cancer. However, the majority of the infected population are unaware of their condition. This population have significant obstacles to overcome such as lack of awareness, vulnerability, increased migration, disease stigma, discrimination, as well as poor health resources, conflict in policy development and program implementation. Despite implementing infection control measures over the last few decades eradication or significant disease reduction remains elusive. This study aims to present the current global prevalence status and examines potential elimination strategies. The information for this research were obtained through a systematic review, published scientific literatures, the official websites of various government organisations, international public health organisations and internationally recognised regulatory bodies over a period of 40 years between 1978 and 2018.
Core tip: Viral hepatitis is a serious disease, which results in a high number of fatalities that increases each year, with the majority of infected people being unaware of their condition. Although many infection control measures have been employed with the expectation of reducing the spread of the virus, eradication or significant disease reduction remains a long way off. The global burden of the disease remains significant. This mini-review presents the current global prevalence status and examines potential elimination strategies.
