World Hepatitis Day: Facts &
Teaching Tools to Make an Impact
World Hepatitis Day is 28 July, making July a great time to raise awareness about hepatitis and its serious global impact.
Worldwide, millions of people are newly infected with viral forms of hepatitis each year. Every day, more than 3,500 people die from liver disease caused by viral hepatitis. Most people with chronic hepatitis have never been diagnosed with the disease or received treatment.
Fortunately, steps can be taken to prevent many cases of hepatitis, such as avoiding heavy alcohol use and preventing the transmission of viral hepatitis. And, proper diagnosis and treatment can help prevent serious complications, such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
At Health Edco, we have effective and engaging health education materials that are perfect to raise awareness about hepatitis, its risk factors, and measures to take for hepatitis prevention. Read on to learn more about hepatitis and our attention-grabbing teaching tools that are ideal to educate about hepatitis prevention.
Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. The most common type of hepatitis is viral hepatitis, which is caused by several viruses. Hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol abuse (alcoholic hepatitis). Another form of hepatitis is toxic hepatitis, which can be caused by exposure to poisons, medications, chemicals, or supplements. Autoimmune hepatitis is a type of hepatitis that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks its own liver.
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Alcohol Abuse Consequences 3-D Display features eight models depicting ways alcohol abuse can harm the body, including a large, lifelike model illustrating advanced liver disease resulting from alcoholic hepatitis. Easy-to-read text and diagrams explain each of the depicted consequences of alcohol abuse.
Although some forms of viral hepatitis are acute infections (meaning they are short-term and usually improve after several weeks), many forms of hepatitis are chronic (long term). These cases of hepatitis can lead to lifelong consequences, such as liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure, liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis is the leading cause of liver cancer.
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Death of a Liver Easel Display uses three 3-D models of a liver to show the progression of liver disease from a normal liver to a liver with hepatitis and a liver with cirrhosis. The display also emphasises ways to help prevent liver disease, such as maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding drugs, and preventing the transmission and contraction of sexually transmitted infections.
What Are Different Forms of Viral Hepatitis?
Researchers have identified five distinct hepatitis viruses, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E. In the UK, hepatitis C is the most common type of viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis A is a virus that is present in an infected person’s stool. It is typically spread through contaminated food or water. Although hepatitis A is not common in the UK, it is more typically found in countries with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. Hepatitis A can also be spread through sexual contact. Shared use of injection drug equipment increases the risk for contracting hepatitis A.
Most hepatitis A infections last only a few months and only rarely lead to long-lasting damage. Although not routinely offered in the UK because the risk is low, a hepatitis A vaccination is available to those at increased risk, such as people travelling to parts of the world where hepatitis A is more common and those who may be exposed to hepatitis A as a result of their job or other practices. Vaccination may also be recommended for adults with chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis B is a more serious form of viral hepatitis than hepatitis A. The virus is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, semen, or other body fluids. Although hepatitis B is uncommon in the UK, it typically is transmitted from an infected mother to her unborn baby. Hepatitis B can also spread through having sex without a condom or by injection drug use.
Adults infected with hepatitis B usually are able to recover after a few months, but those infected as children often develop a serious, chronic infection that can progress to liver failure, liver cancer, and death. To prevent hepatitis B infection, the hepatitis B vaccine was added to children’s routine vaccination programme in 2017. The hepatitis B vaccine is also recommended for adults at higher risk, including people who are travelling to other countries where hepatitis B is more common.
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What You Should Know About STDs Folding Display explains that hepatitis B and hepatitis A are two types of viral hepatitis that can be sexually transmitted. The folding display also explains that vaccines are available to help prevent the contraction of hepatitis A and B.
Like hepatitis B, hepatitis C spreads through contact with an infected person’s blood or other body fluids, and it can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. In the UK, hepatitis C is most commonly spread through the use of shared drug injection equipment, but it also can be transmitted by having sex without a condom, as well as through accidental needle sticks, the use of unsterile tattoo equipment, or the use of an infected person’s razor or other personal items. The virus can also be transmitted from a mother to her unborn child.
In the UK, it was estimated that approximately 118,000 people had chronic hepatitis C in 2019. Many people with hepatitis C are unaware that they are infected, making testing for hepatitis C the only way to know for certain. In 2023, surveys suggested that approximately 7.8% of injection drug users were infected with hepatitis C. Although there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, treatments are available that can cure most chronic hepatitis C infections and stop the progression of chronic liver disease.
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Anatomy of an Opioid Abuser 3-D Display features realistic 3-D organ models and easy-to-understand text that explains how opioid misuse and abuse can lead to organ damage and overdose death. The text explains that injection opioid abuse can lead to hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. The acetaminophen (paracetamol) in some prescription opioid medications can also harm the liver.
Other types of viral hepatitis include hepatitis D and hepatitis E. Hepatitis D develops only in people already with hepatitis B and is spread through contact with the blood of an infected person. Vaccination against hepatitis B can also prevent hepatitis D. Spread primarily through contaminated drinking water or food such as undercooked meat, hepatitis E is more prevalent in developing countries. Although hepatitis E typically causes only a mild, short-term infection, the virus is especially dangerous to women who are pregnant and can lead to liver failure and death for both mother and baby. Although vaccines can prevent hepatitis E infection, they are not widely available.
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Pickled Liver Model is a sealed jar containing a lifelike model of a cirrhotic liver floating next to a model of a pickle. Sure to grab attention, the jar features explanatory labels highlighting the similarities of texture and appearance between a liver destroyed by cirrhosis and a pickle. It’s an unforgettable way to reveal a potentially deadly result of alcohol abuse or the progression of viral hepatitis.
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The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to replace the advice of a healthcare professional.
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