Urgent Action Needed: Preventing Liver Cancer Deaths in South-East Asia through Viral Hepatitis B and C Treatment and Prevention

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Almost 75% of all liver cirrhosis cases are due to hepatitis B and C infection.
Hepatitis C can be cured, preventing further damage to the liver, while hepatitis B can prevent cirrhosis and cancer if treated in its early stages.
Investment in viral hepatitis response could yield a significant return on investment of up to US$ 2-3 for every dollar invested.
Liver cancer is the fourth biggest cause of cancer deaths in South-East Asia and the second most common cause among men.
Mother-to-child transmission remains a key mode of transmission in regions with high disease burden, such as Southeast Asia and Africa.
Only 13% of people with chronic hepatitis B had been diagnosed and around 3% received antiviral therapy by the end of 2022.
Raising awareness through public health campaigns, mass media, social media, and community outreach programs is essential in combating this silent epidemic.
Routine birth-dose HBV vaccination is not yet implemented in the majority of West and Central African countries.
The WHO has called for urgent action to address the increasing number of liver cancer deaths in South-East Asia due to viral hepatitis B and C.
Urgent Action Needed: Preventing Liver Cancer Deaths in South-East Asia through Viral Hepatitis B and C Treatment and Prevention

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent action to address the increasing number of liver cancer deaths in South-East Asia, which is home to 70.5 million people living with viral hepatitis B and C. The WHO emphasized the need for universal access to prevention, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment of these viruses in order to prevent liver cirrhosis and cancer. According to recent data, liver cancer is the fourth biggest cause of cancer deaths in South-East Asia and the second most common cause among men. Almost 75% of all liver cirrhosis cases are due to hepatitis B and C infection.

The importance of early testing and treatment cannot be overstated. Hepatitis C can be cured, preventing further damage to the liver, while hepatitis B can prevent cirrhosis and cancer if treated in its early stages. The WHO also highlighted that investment in viral hepatitis response could yield a significant return on investment of up to US$ 2-3 for every dollar invested.

The issue is not limited to South-East Asia alone. Kashmir, a region facing serious public health challenges, has a higher prevalence of hepatitis B and C compared to other parts of India. Raising awareness through public health campaigns, mass media, social media, and community outreach programs is essential in combating this silent epidemic.

The WHO's 2030 viral hepatitis elimination goal remains a significant challenge. Only 13% of people with chronic hepatitis B had been diagnosed and around 3% received antiviral therapy by the end of 2022. Mother-to-child transmission remains a key mode of transmission in regions with high disease burden, such as Southeast Asia and Africa. Routine birth-dose HBV vaccination is not yet implemented in the majority of West and Central African countries.

To meet this goal, focused efforts are needed in high-burden regions like South-East Asia and Africa. Investment in priority countries, implementation of policies for equitable treatment, and addressing diagnosis and treatment gaps are crucial steps towards eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.


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Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Preventing Hepatatis

Brighter Kashmir Monday, 29 July 2024 08:05
  • Unique Points
    • Kashmir faces serious public health challenges with hepatitis B and C
    • Prevalence of hepatitis B and C in Kashmir is higher than average compared to other parts of India
    • Raising awareness is essential to combat hepatitis in Kashmir through public health campaigns, mass media, social media, community outreach programs
  • Accuracy
    • World Hepatitis Day is observed annually on July 28th
    • Theme for World Hepatitis Day 2024 is ‘Hepatitis Can’t Wait’
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

97%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Viral hepatitis elimination — time to act

Nature Magazine Monday, 29 July 2024 08:10
  • Unique Points
    • There are over 300 million people worldwide living with viral hepatitis.
    • Only 13% of people with chronic hepatitis B had been diagnosed and around 3% received antiviral therapy by the end of 2022.
    • Mother-to-child transmission remains a key mode of transmission in regions with a high burden of disease such as Southeast Asia and Africa.
    • Routine birth-dose HBV vaccination is not yet implemented in the majority of West and Central African countries, despite the region accounting for 63% of new HBV infections.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains some inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority without providing evidence for the claims. It also dichotomously depicts the progress towards viral hepatitis elimination as not keeping pace with the goal of 2030. Additionally, it uses generalizations when discussing mother-to-child transmission in high burden regions.
    • The burden of viral hepatitis remains high: there are >2 million new cases of viral hepatitis each year with more than 300 million people worldwide living with viral hepatitis.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

WHO calls for accelerated action against hepatitis to address increasing liver cancer deaths in South-East Asia

World Health Organization (WHO) Monday, 29 July 2024 08:13
  • Unique Points
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for urgent scaling up of efforts to provide universal access to prevention, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C in South-East Asia.
    • Liver cancer is the fourth biggest cause of cancer deaths in the Region and the second most common cause of cancer deaths among men.
    • Almost 75% of liver cirrhosis cases are due to hepatitis B and C infection.
    • In 2022, South-East Asia accounted for 70.5 million people living with viral hepatitis B and C.
    • Early testing and treatment can cure hepatitis C, prevent hepatitis B from causing liver cirrhosis and cancer, and help reverse the prediction of liver cancer rates in South-East Asia doubling by 2050.
    • Hepatitis B and C affect the general population as well as specific populations such as those at higher risk of or with a history of exposure through unsafe blood supplies, medical injections, mother-to-child transmission, indigenous populations, mobile and migrant populations from countries with higher prevalence, and key populations including people who inject drugs, people in prisons and other closed settings, sex workers and men-who-have-sex-with-men.
    • Investment in viral hepatitis response can yield a return on investment of US$ 2-3 for every dollar invested, helping to reduce development of liver cirrhosis and cancer, and ultimately death.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The article contains several statements that are not fallacies but rather facts and calls to action. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority when Ms. Saima Wazed states 'We have the knowledge and tools to prevent, diagnose and treat viral hepatitis.' This statement implies that because she is the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, her assertion about having the knowledge and tools is true. While it is likely that she does have this knowledge based on her position, this does not make the statement logically valid on its own. Therefore, I am deducting 5 points from a perfect score.
    • 'We have the knowledge and tools to prevent, diagnose and treat viral hepatitis.' - Ms. Saima Wazed
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication