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Key Takeaways
Understanding the ridiculously huge impact hepatitis has on the world, we decided to make good use of this #LearningWednesday to educate ourselves and all those interested in becoming better builders of the (hepatitis-free) future. This year’s campaign on #WorldHepatitisDay has smartly chosen to lead with ‘Hep Can’t Wait’ theme. Why? Because we genuinely shouldn’t wait any longer to eliminate hepatitis. With such a strong advance in technology, science, and an overall visionary approach to life and the future, we should be powerful enough to eradicate this disease hopefully by 2030, a goal proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). If you’re familiar with us, you probably already know we are all about vision and unity, and this is exactly why we can’t wait to build this new reality together. We’ve been dared. Now let’s deliver.
‘With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness – even in the current COVID-19 crisis – we can’t wait to act on viral hepatitis.’
To better understand what this year's World Hepatitis Day campaign means by ‘Hep Can’t Wait’, here’s a list extracted from the official website, guiding you through the huge impact hepatitis has on the world:
1.People living with viral hepatitis unaware can’t wait for testing.
2.People living with hepatitis can’t wait for life-saving treatments.
3.Expectant mothers can’t wait for hepatitis screening and treatment.
4.Newborn babies can’t wait for birth dose vaccination.
5.People affected by hepatitis can’t wait to end stigma and discrimination.
6.Community organizations can’t wait for greater investment.
7. Decision-makers can’t wait and must act now to make hepatitis elimination a reality through political will and funding.
What is living with hep like?
Given the fact it’s rather hard to just imagine what it’s like for someone dealing with hepatitis in the everyday details of life and work-life, we were very keen on discovering one study in Japan that targeted 11,046 people who were infected with HBV. They had a 60% response rate and the answers bring to light the main aspects that weigh more for them.
The 6525 people responding to the study then talked about matters like:
1.Lack of understanding of HBV in the workplace
They’ve been ‘treated with prejudice because of a lack of knowledge that HBV cannot be transmitted via daily activities.'
Some even ‘received complaints about taking a rest after receiving interferon therapy during their lunch break and experiencing pain from its side effects’ or had their ‘employment offer withdrawn after submitting a medical examination report.’
2.Inability to buy life insurance
They were ‘unable to buy private life insurance because of their HBV diagnosis’
3.The burden due to medical expenses
The study shows how HBV-affected people reported 'feeling hopeless because essential medical examinations are not covered by aid and they could not make payments,' and 'needed to give up high-level medical treatment.'
4.Life failure
They ‘found themselves in serious, desperate straits’. The study recorded that many ‘had a suicide plan in case a government settlement would not be reached in court’ or were ‘considering suicide so as not to place further burdens on the family.’
5.Dissatisfaction with the system
They either ‘did not know about the services provided by municipal offices’, ‘did not know about financial aid for medical expenses, or were simply ‘not aware of available support systems and was losing opportunities to make the most of them’
6.Wishing for life balance
Interview participants ‘wished to work and have an income while receiving necessary treatments, and hoped to marry and have their own families someday'.
According to cdc.gov,
‘Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are liver infections caused by three different viruses. Although each can cause similar symptoms, they are spread in different ways and can affect the liver differently. Hepatitis A is usually a short-term infection. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also begin as short-term infections but in some people, the virus remains in the body and causes chronic, or lifelong, infection. There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B; however, no vaccine is available for hepatitis C.’
[Curious why is it so difficult to create a vaccine for hepatitis C? There is a study we linked in the resources list. Also listed below there is a WHO Prevention Protocol. Although we hope you’d give it a read, we’ll shortly go through the main points of prevention discussed within WHO.]
As prevention strategies, WHO tackles:
1.Vaccination against hep A and B,
2.Mother-to-child prevention of HBV and HCV,
3.Safer sexual behavior,
4.Reducing harm related to injecting drug use,
5.Transmission through blood transfusion and blood products,
6.Counseling to reduce liver-related harm,
7. Prevention through health care settings.
We wholeheartedly recommend honoring this international celebration day to understand more by checking the resources below.
‘WHD is a day for the world’s hepatitis community to unite and make our voices heard. It’s a day to celebrate the progress we have made and to meet the current challenges. It’s also an opportunity for us to increase awareness and encourage a real political change to jointly facilitate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.’
Little big things we can do
As companies
When provided with such global scale matter, it’s rather natural to feel small and less potent than we actually are. But we are all part of some sort of community and those communities’ strength coming from individuals build up a much more powerful butterfly effect than firstly realized.
Companies we work in are one fair example of powerful communities having the power to make a change. And with actually small actions.
What we do, here, at Linnify, is take care of our Linnfians by:
+ Having a wide range of check-ups included in the healthcare insurance in partnership with Regina Maria.
+ Having weekly breathing/yoga/exercise internal events.
+ Partnership with Nutriento to bring healthy eating closer to everyday lifestyle.
+ Regular disinfections in the office building.
+ A complete safety medical kit in case any accidents happen.
+ Overall wellbeing orientation of the organizational culture.
As a company, for just talking about these matters, chances are the word of mouth will spread and help the process of awareness in terms of eliminating hepatitis. As scary as it sounds, we never know which one of our dear colleagues could be battling silently with hepatitis.
Investing in proper health insurance will bring the conversation to a friendlier level and make the check-ups less daunting for individuals. Thus, you as a company have the power to save lives and eliminate even more viral diseases, leading now with hepatitis.
As individuals
Spread the word.
Using this Word Hepatitis Day might even save someone’s life.
Be careful with injuries, choose your cosmetic providers by verifying the safety level first, get your yearly check-up and be mindful of your immune system. Eat well, rest well, be active and keep an assertive approach to life to preserve a rather positive mindset as you go through the ups and downs.
Help break the discrimination.
‘Evidence suggests that when stigma and discrimination are associated with people with chronic hepatitis B it is primarily related to a poor understanding of prevention and transmission, and not linked to concepts of moral deficit that characterize HIV- and hepatitis C-related stigma and discrimination.’
- Ellard and Wallace, La Trobe University, Australia
By the power of social media, you too are one kind of influencer. Don’t be shy and stand by matters that matter.
Use these types of days to make a difference. You know the saying: be the change you want to see in the world.
What can you do to get involved?
This year’s World Hepatitis Day Campaign put together an amazing set of impactful means to raise awareness of the matter.
Listed below are some of the proposed steps of the walk we should walk together to attain the 2030 goal to eradicate hepatitis.
One-minute actions such as:
1.Sending the #HepCantWait graphics to your contacts via Whatsapp to raise awareness among your loved ones.
2.Downloading #WorldHepatitisDay social media graphics to spread purposeful content on your accounts.
3. Sign the pledge.
4.Create an Instagram reel with #WHDRelay to open up the conversation by expressing your view on the matter.
5.Add branded frame to your Facebook profile picture.
Should you have a bit more time on your hands to get involved, there are also the ten-minute actions and longer-time actions you can take to raise awareness and snowball the called for elimination of viral hepatitis by 2030. (which would reduce new infections by 90% and mortality by 65%)
Hep Can’t Wait.
And we shouldn’t make it wait any longer.
You’ve been dared.
Get tested. Spread the world. And read more now to better understand this topic:
EN
World Hepatitis Day Official Website
Hepatitis from A to E: A critical review of viral hepatitis
Liver Foundation: Hep C the Silent Killer
Why is it so difficult to develop a hepatitis C virus preventive vaccine?
RO
https://www.reginamaria.ro/articole-medicale/hepatita-virala
https://www.reginamaria.ro/utile/dictionar-de-afectiuni/hepatita-b
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