Eliminating hepatitis from the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

459 As we mark World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, our attention naturally focuses on the relentless battle to eliminate viral hepatitis from populations suffering under the heavy toll of this communicable disease. The theme for World Hepatitis Day this year is “Eliminate Hepatitis”. Currently an estimated 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. In 2015 alone, viral hepatitis caused 1.34 million deaths, while 1.75 million people were newly infected with hepatitis C (1). It would appear on the face of it that eliminating hepatitis is an insurmountable task, but substantial attention and resources have been directed to promoting hepatitis prevention and treatment, and with heartening results. The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) continues to have the highest prevalence of viral hepatitis C globally. WHO estimates that more than 15 million people in the Region are currently chronically infected with hepatitis C, and 21 million with hepatitis B (1). 80% of the regional burden of these infections lies in Egypt and Pakistan (1). Unfortunately, many people in the Region acquire hepatitis B and C in the place where they least expect it, namely health care settings due to sub-optimal infection control and prevention, unsafe injection practices and inadequately screened blood transfusions. Mother-to-child transmission is the primary cause of hepatitis B among children (2). Furthermore, many people who are at risk of HIV are also at risk of hepatitis B and C infections, due Editorial