The project to stem hepatitis, More than one million and 300 thousand deaths from hepatitis and cases are increasing

ROMA – The San’Egidio Community presents the results of important work carried out to interrupt the increasingly worrying chain of contagion of hepatitis B and C: among infectious diseases, hepatitis is the second cause of death in the world.

More than one million and 300 thousand deaths from hepatitis. The new data? from 187 countries show that the estimated number of deaths from viral hepatitis?has increased from 1.1 million? in 2019 to 1.3 in 2022. Of these, 83% were caused by hepatitis B and 17% by hepatitis C. The picture that emerged from Global Hepatitis Report 2024 dell’World Health Organization reports that viral hepatitis is the second infectious cause of death globally, with percentages similar to those recorded by tuberculosis, one of the main infectious killers.

Record number of hidden cases in Italy. In our country there are still 300 thousand people unaware of being affected by the HCV virus and not yet treated, a record number of hidden cases in Europe which still sees us far from the WHO goal of eliminating Hepatitis C by 2030. “Hepatitis C is a disease that takes years to give clear symptoms – says Enrico Di Rosa, director of the Hygiene and Public Health Service of the ASL Roma 1 – if not identified and correctly treated. Today there are therapies that allow it to be eradicated the virus that can lead to the development of liver cancer and “impact the person’s quality of life”.

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The Solidarity Health Project of the Community of Sant’Egidio. “The Solidarity Health Project “Walking together for the treatment of Hepatitis C”, implemented by the Community of Sant’Egidio, has moved in this important preventive perspective to expand access to tests and encourage timely diagnosis by interrupting the chain of contagion. Dr. Maria Giuseppina Lecce, coordinator of the project for Sant’Egidio, explains to Mondo Solidale: “We have activated an awareness campaign towards Hepatitis C and a screening offer with a rapid anti-HCV test aimed at the migrant population which is aimed at the Community”.

Help for migrants and refugees. The awareness campaign involved thousands of migrants and refugees: students of the School of Italian Language and Culture and people in difficulty who turn to the reception and solidarity centers of Sant’Egidio. The offer of screening with a rapid anti-HCV test was received with great favor and interest: the positivity percentage was 1.5%, and the positive patients were sent for appropriate treatment and complete management. at the Gemelli Polyclinic”.

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The role of the Gemelli Polyclinic. “The National Plan for HCV screening in Italy has introduced important resources to cover large segments of the general population and special populations. Dr. Francesca Romana Ponziani, head of the hepatology clinic at the disease center, explains to Mondo Solidale of the digestive system (Cemad), Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Irccs: “There are many people who are difficult to access the screening and treatment paths provided for by official protocols and who instead can represent important pockets of undeclared work and it is to them that they owe particular attention must be paid. Among these people there are migrants, who are guaranteed access to screening services and care at health facilities that can guarantee them the necessary treatment for an infectious disease that Nowadays it is treatable with very high success rates.”