This day is dedicated towards increasing global awareness on the dangerious effects of Hepatitis. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis are encouraged so that liver complications such as cancer and liver failure are decreased. Therefore it is important that the general public including health professionals are encouraged to get to know more about the disease, test for it and if found positive are referred to specialist physician for continuous care.

Around 130-170 million people are affected by hepatitis, this is approximately 1 in 12 people worldwide. Hepatitis B and C are often found as the ‘silent killers’ as infected people do not tend to experience any symptoms until potentially serious signs emerge. Infected individuals would be also at risk of transmitting this infection to their household and/or sexual partners.

This year’s logo is Think again. PREVENT Hepatitis. This could be done by refraining from taking and sharing drugs, needles and other equipment utilised for drug taking, to use condoms correctly and consistently and to take all the vaccinations available and according to schedule.

However it is important that people who think that they have the potential of being infected due to unprotected sexual contacts, having shared needles whilst drug taking, had tattoos and piercings in unlicensed parlours or have come into contact with blood whilst having a break in the skin themselves to get tested and if found positive are to be referred accordingly as there are specific treaments available that can decrease the liver damage.

Unlike Hepatitis C, there is a vaccine for Hepatitis B. Thus people should be made aware of such vaccine so that its uptake is encouraged. In fact the Maltese government already offers this vaccine free of charge to children, health professionals, AFM, police and migrant workers and LGBTI individuals at the GU clinic.

The Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate has devised three leafelts specifically on Hepatitis A, B & C so that they are distributed at Health Centres, Hospitals, migrant and community centres and workplaces in order to increase awareness regarding the three conditions. For more information one could also consult the website on www. sexualhealth.gov.mt or call the Health Promotion or Disease Prevention Directorate on 23266000. For testing one could consult his/her own GP or else call the GU clinic on 21227981.