Someone very close to me was diagnosed with Hepatitis C. Most people in my world had no idea what that meant when it became part of their story. And the conversation around hepatitis is still not where it needs to be. People know the word. They do not always know what it means: how it spreads, how treatable it has become, or how many people are living with it right now without knowing.
Over 354 million people worldwide are living with hepatitis B or C. Most of them have not been diagnosed. Hepatitis is transmitted through blood. It is not transmitted through casual contact. It is not a disease tied to any one lifestyle. It is a public health issue that affects people across every demographic, and the silence around it costs lives.
World Hepatitis Day exists to change that. To make the conversation normal. To remind people that knowing your status is one of the most important things you can do, for yourself and for the people who love you.
That story is theirs to carry. What I can do with it is point you toward the information and resources that might matter to someone in your life.