Hepatitis is an epidemic of the poor: the absolute majority of chronic hepatitis B (96%) and hepatitis C (72%) cases are in low- and middle-income countries, and disproportionately in marginalised groups. It is a silent epidemic: the vast majority of those infected do not know they carry the virus and unwittingly pass it on; governments may be unaware of the impact; and there may be stigma given the transmission routes of hepatitis B (sexual) and hepatitis C (by unsafe drug injections). And so, in a world grappling with pressing crisis like wars, pandemics, and economic upheavals, it becomes what it is: a neglected epidemic.
