Hepatitis C - the silent epidemic

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 170 million people are chronically infected by hepatitis C virus. Approximately 125,000 people in the Nordic countries is expected to carry the hepatitis C virus, and 5,000-6,000 cases are reported annually. This means that there is a daily average of 13-16 people in the Nordic countries receiving the news that they are carrying the hepatitis C virus.

Did you know ...?

• About 75 per cent of those infected with hepatitis C in the world are unaware that they carry the virus.
• People can be infected with hepatitis C virus for decades without knowing that the virus is in the body.
• Approximately 70 per cent of all infected develop chronic liver disease, about 20 percent develop cirrhosis after 20-30 years of disease and 1-4 percent of them suffer every year from liver cancer.