The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging Caribbean countries to take advantage of recent reductions in the cost of diagnosing and treating viral hepatitis, and scale up investments in disease elimination.

A new study by WHO, published in Lancet Global Health, has found that investing US$6 billion annually in eliminating hepatitis in 67 low-and middle-income countries, such as those in the Caribbean, would avert 4.5 million premature deaths by 2030 and more than 26 million deaths beyond that target date. The study says a total of US$58.7 billion is needed to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat in these 67 countries by 2030. The study also notes that by investing in diagnostic tests and medicines for treating hepatitis B and C, countries can save lives and reduce costs related to the long-term care of cirrhosis and liver cancer that result from untreated hepatitis.

Around 3.9 million people in the region of the Americas are living with hepatitis B and another 7.2 million with hepatitis C, while about 125,000 died from viral hepatitis in 2013.

PAHO said that hepatitis B and C antivirals can reduce the risk of developing liver cancer by 75 percent.