Just six billion dollars a year would prevent millions of premature deaths from hepatitis over the next decade, the World Health Organisation says today.
After 2030 another 26 million deaths would be prevented by investing the money in 67 low and middle-income countries, according to WHO.
The analysis was published in Lancet Global Health for World Hepatitis Day.
Researchers say the investment would reduce new infections by 90% and deaths by 65%.
According to WHO there are 325 million people living with hepatitis B and C infection and, for the vast majority, accessing testing and treatment remains out of reach. It says only about 40 million people know they are infected.
WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Today 80% of people living with hepatitis can’t get the services they need to prevent, test for and treat the disease.
“On World Hepatitis Day, we’re calling for bold political leadership, with investments to match. We call on all countries to integrate services for hepatitis into benefit packages as part of their journey towards universal health coverage.”
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