Avances hacia la erradicación mundial de las hepatitis virales en 2030: Retos y estrategias

Abstract

Viral hepatitis remains a global health challenge, causing millions of chronic infections and deaths worldwide. The impact of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV, respectively) is particularly concerning, as these silent killers slowly damage the liver, often leading to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and ultimately, death. It is considered that viral hepatitis is responsible for millions of deaths, comparable to the combined mortality of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. This public health threat disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and those individuals with limited healthcare access. In response to this crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious goal in 2016: ‘‘to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030’’. The expected objectives are: a 90% reduction in new infections, a 65% decrease in mortality, a 90% increase in diagnosis, and an 80% rise in treatment rates...