Hepatitis B and C cause silent liver damage and high mortality

Viral hepatitis causes approximately 3,500 deaths daily worldwide, primarily due to complications from Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. According to World Health Organization data, Hepatitis B alone accounts for 1.2 million new infections and 1.1 million deaths annually.

A critical issue is the low rate of diagnosis. Only 27% of the 254 million people living with chronic Hepatitis B know their status, and only 36% of the nearly 50 million people living with Hepatitis C have been diagnosed. This allows the viruses to damage the liver silently for years or even decades without symptoms.

Dr. Fabiolina Sánchez Peralta, a gastroenterologist at Cedimat, notes that while both viruses target the liver, they are transmitted differently. Both are spread through contact with infected blood, such as shared needles, uncontrolled transfusions, or unsterilized medical and dental procedures. Hepatitis B is also easily transmitted sexually and from mother to child during childbirth, whereas these routes are less frequent for Hepatitis C.