WORLD HEPATITIS DAY 2017

“Increasing awareness of Hepatitis and making a difference to eliminate Hepatitis. I specialize in Hepatitis C treatment for anyone who has questions or needs treatment.”

— Dr. Dale

From: http://worldhepatitisday.org/en/2017-campaign

WHAT IS WORLD HEPATITIS DAY?

World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places every year on 28 July and brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. One of just four disease-specific global awareness days officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHD unites patient organizations, governments, medical professionals, civil society, industry and the general public to boost the global profile of viral hepatitis.

WHY IS WORLD HEPATITIS DAY IMPORTANT?

Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year – that’s as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.

Viral hepatitis is not found in one location nor amongst one set of people; it is a truly global epidemic that can affect millions of people without them even being aware. Currently, 90% of people living with hepatitis B and 80% living with hepatitis C are not aware of their status. This can result in the real possibility of developing fatal liver disease at some point in their lives and in some cases, unknowingly transmitting the infection to others.

With the availability of effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, the elimination of viral hepatitis is achievable, but greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is a must, as is access to cheaper diagnostics and treatment. 

With the inclusion of viral hepatitis in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the recent adoption of the world’s first global hepatitis strategy, we are at a pivotal moment. Now more than ever political commitment is needed. Without urgent action, deaths will continue to rise and the epidemic will continue to grow.

World Hepatitis Day presents an ideal opportunity: an opportunity to join together and raise the profile of viral hepatitis among the public, the world’s media and on the global health agenda.

ELIMINATE HEPATITIS

The elimination of viral hepatitis has now been firmly put on the map. At the 69th World Health Assembly in Geneva, 194 governments adopted WHO’s Global Strategy on Viral Hepatitis, which includes a goal of eliminating hepatitis B and C in the next 13 years. The community responded by launching NOhep, the first ever global movement to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030.

On WHD 2017, we can build on this momentum and accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of elimination by 2030. 

ELIMINATE HEPATITIS is a simple call to action that everyone can get behind. Regardless of your priorities, the theme can be easily adapted for local use; to achieve elimination, greater awareness, increased diagnosis and key interventions including universal vaccination, blood and injection safety, harm reduction and treatment are all needed. Every activity that addresses viral hepatitis is a step towards eliminating it. 

No matter what your plans are to mark WHD, be it a rally or press briefing or testing events, they can all come under the theme of Eliminate Hepatitis. 

About World Hepatitis Day

“A day the world comes together to raise awareness of the hepatitis infection”

— Dr. Dale

From About World Hepatitis Day 

WHAT IS WORLD HEPATITIS DAY?

World Hepatitis Day (WHD) takes places every year on 28 July and brings the world together under a single theme to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to influence real change. One of just four disease-specific global awareness days officially endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), WHD unites patient organisations, governments, medical professionals, civil society, industry and the general public to boost the global profile of viral hepatitis.

WHY IS WORLD HEPATITIS DAY IMPORTANT?

Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 1.34 million deaths per year – that’s as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.

Viral hepatitis is not found in one location nor amongst one set of people; it is a truly global epidemic that can affect millions of people without them even being aware. Currently, 90% of people living with hepatitis B and 80% living with hepatitis C are not aware of their status. This can result in the real possibility of developing fatal liver disease at some point in their lives and in some cases, unknowingly transmitting the infection to others.

With the availability of effective vaccines and treatments for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, the elimination of viral hepatitis is achievable, but greater awareness and understanding of the disease and the risks is a must, as is access to cheaper diagnostics and treatment. 

With the inclusion of viral hepatitis in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the recent adoption of the world’s first global hepatitis strategy, we are at a pivotal moment. Now more than ever political commitment is needed. Without urgent action, deaths will continue to rise and the epidemic will continue to grow.

World Hepatitis Day presents an ideal opportunity: an opportunity to join together and raise the profile of viral hepatitis among the public, the world’s media and on the global health agenda.

ABOUT WORLD HEPATITIS ALLIANCE

The World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) is a patient-led and patient driven non-governmental organisation (NGO). With over 249 member patient groups from 84 countries, WHA works with governments, national members and other key partners to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and influence global change. To achieve a world free from viral hepatitis, they provide global leadership in advocacy, awareness-raising and the fight to end its social injustice.

I Meditated Every Day For A Month And Here's What Happened

“An interesting read about what meditation can do for someone.”

— Dr. Dale

From I Meditated Every Day For A Month And Here's What Happened.  

I first tried meditation in my office about three years ago, when a group of colleagues met in a conference room for a quick guided session.

I remember that first simple meditation so well: After about 10 minutes of sitting with my eyes closed, in a circle of plastic chairs, I felt like I’d been in a spa for hours. My mind was quiet and my body moved slowly. I walked back to my desk bleary-eyed and relaxed, like I had just consumed a glass of wine.

What was this, magic? I was hooked.

Meditation, in its simplest form, is the practice of observing your breath. It can reshape behavior, change brain composition and permanently boost your ability to regulate emotions. Studies have also shown meditation reduces inflammation in the brain, thus lowering your risk for cancer and other diseases. Additionally, it sets you up to feel awe, relieves pain and protects the brain from aging. Meditation can help with anxiety, depression, insomnia and fatigue. It’s no wonder the humble practice has grown into a billion-dollar industry.

Despite the benefits, I hadn’t continued to meditate on my own outside of those office sessions. So I decided to try it out for a month. I set a modest goal to meditate for five minutes, three times per day.

I failed miserably. On average, I’d say I meditated for five minutes only once per day. But I still noticed results. They’re by no means scientific and just my personal experience. However, if I feel that I’ve changed this much from a relatively small dose of meditation, then just imagine what a consistent practice could accomplish.

Here’s how my month of meditation made a mark on my life:

I talk more like a podcast host. 

Since starting my meditation experiment, it feels like my brain works more slowly and rationally. This becomes most apparent when I’m speaking. You know how podcast hosts soothingly enunciate every word and outline their thoughts deliberately? That’s how I talk now.

It also helped me stay more aware in the moment. I used to struggle with staying focused in conversations. While my mouth moved, my brain would wander to my to-do list or fall into cyclical thoughts about upcoming plans. Since learning to live in the present with meditation, those issues don’t crop up as often.

Experts say meditation can help you become more self-aware of your thoughts as they come, which I’ve found to be true. I feel like I inherently know what’s important to me and what I should focus on in a given moment or conversation. And I’m better at letting those other random thoughts go. 

Freeways don’t make me sweat anymore.

Situations that used to make my face burn with anxiety (traffic jams, tightly-packed elevators and time crunches, just to name a few) don’t fluster me as much since I started meditating. Without even needing to remind myself, I feel my attention drift toward my breath and it becomes an anchor that keeps me calm until the frustrating event ends.

Yes, I’m aware this sounds like mindfulness mumbo-jumbo, and I wouldn’t have believed it could happen a mere month ago. But it has. And it’s backed by science: Research has continually shown that mindfulness can ease stress.

I fell in love with yoga. 

Now that I know meditation improves my mental state, I’m hyper-interested in any activity that can spark that feeling. Yoga is one of those practices. 

I find it easier to stay focused in a yoga class than when I’m meditating alone, because it’s guided and other people are there to keep me on task. It’s longer than a typical five-minute meditation session, so my brain feels calmer afterward. I can also write it off as my workout for the day: Research shows it certainly is a healthy form of physical activity. Win, win, win.

“Productivity” has a whole new meaning.

I’ve learned that taking time to “just be” is not only permissible, it’s necessary if I want to feel my best. I don’t need to constantly be doing something, goingsomewhere or achieving some goal in order to feel like I’m spending my time wisely. 

Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that five minutes of forgetting about my to-do list is more productive than five minutes of working on it. But after I take a meditation break, the tasks simply don’t feel as urgent or stressful anymore. I’ve realized that “just being” is an okay place to be.

Those five minutes are a small investment that pays off in big ways.