Dhaka, July 27 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for urgent action in Bangladesh to expand access to hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment by breaking down the barriers that continue to prevent millions of people from receiving the care they need.

The WHO made the call ahead of the World Hepatitis Day that falls on July 28.

Bangladesh is among the 10 countries with the highest numbers of people living with hepatitis C globally, said the UN agency on Monday.

Chronic viral hepatitis remains one of the world's leading infectious disease killers, causing an estimated 1.3 million deaths every year, mainly from liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Hepatitis B and C account for approximately 95% of all viral hepatitis deat...