Hepatitis diagnoses fall in Bavaria as Austria urges early testing
In Bavaria, Germany, 1,425 new hepatitis cases were reported up to 20 July 2024, a drop of 548 cases compared with the same period last year. Hepatitis C diagnoses fell by 155 to 696. Health minister Judith Gerlach highlighted the importance of vaccination, noting that 88.4 % of school‑age children are now immunised against hepatitis B, and reminded that a free screening for hepatitis B and C has been available since the end of 2020 as part of the Check‑up 35 programme.
In the neighbouring Austrian state of Tyrol, health authorities reported 69 hepatitis B and 54 hepatitis C infections in the past year. They are offering a free health examination to all residents aged 18 and older and are urging people at higher risk to use the testing service. Both regions marked World Hepatitis Day on 28 July with campaigns urging the public to get vaccinated, screened and informed.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300 million people worldwide live with chronic hepatitis and that over one million deaths occur each year from related complications.
Entities: Bavaria · Cornelia Hagele · Judith Gerlach · Tyrol · World Hepatitis Day
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] 1,425 people were newly diagnosed with hepatitis in Bavaria up to 20 July 2024. (Health ministry data)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Hepatitis C diagnoses in Bavaria fell by 155 to a total of 696. (Health ministry figures)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Tyrol, 54 hepatitis C cases were reported in the last year. (Tyrol health authority)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The 1,425 new hepatitis cases in Bavaria represent 548 fewer diagnoses than in the same period of the previous year. (Health ministry comparison)
- [● 2 SOURCES] A free hepatitis B and C screening has been available in Bavaria since the end of 2020 as part of the Check‑up 35 preventive exam. (Health ministry information)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Tyrol, 69 hepatitis B cases were reported in the last year. (Tyrol health authority)
- [● 2 SOURCES] 88.4 % of school‑age children in Bavaria are vaccinated against hepatitis B. (Vaccination data)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] World Health Organization estimates over 300 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis and more than one million die annually from related complications. (WHO estimate)