Singapore, July 29 -- As we markWorld Hepatitis Dayon 28 July, the World Health Organisation(WHO) calls on governments and partners to urgently accelerate efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reduce liver cancer deaths.

Viral hepatitis - types A, B, C, D, and E - are major causes of acute liver infection. Among these only hepatitis B, C, and D can lead to chronic infections that significantly increase the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Yet most people with hepatitis don't know they're infected. Types B, C, and D affect over 300million people globally and cause more than 1.3million deaths each year, mainly from liver cirrhosis and cancer.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (I...