PHILADELPHIA– The Philadelphia Department of Public Health issued the 2023 Annual Report on Hepatitis B, C, and D in Philadelphia. Both hepatitis B and hepatitis C are experienced throughout the city, affecting every residential ZIP code and contributing to premature death and cancer among residents. This report shows that more than 48,000 residents are living with these viruses, however this likely underestimates the true number as these conditions often have no symptoms and remain untested. This is despite national recommendations that every adult be tested at least once in their lifetime for hepatitis C and hepatitis B and the decline in reported infections over the last decade likely reflects, at least in part, a lack of routine testing.
Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson, Health Commissioner, said, “This report highlights the continued progress toward eliminating hepatitis B, C, and D from Philadelphia and is a reflection of the tireless work being done by stakeholders. Much work remains, however, and by coordinating efforts across Philadelphia we can eliminate the impact they have on the health of our residents.”
Six hundred and sixty-six people in 2023 had new hepatitis B infections, and an estimated 1.6 percent of Philadelphians are living with hepatitis B. Non-Hispanic Black residents represent the highest proportion of people living with hepatitis B. Asian and Pacific Islanders experience nearly ten times the rate of infection of White residents. Disease transmission is being seen among communities previously assumed to be vaccinated. It is recommended that all adults 19-59 years of age get vaccinated for hepatitis B, a service that many healthcare providers and pharmacies throughout Philadelphia offer.
It is estimated that over 51,000 Philadelphia residents have been diagnosed with hepatitis C since 2016, half of whom have been cured or cleared the virus thanks to the hard work of many stakeholders in the city to improve treatment availability and provide harm reduction services. Over one thousand people in 2023 tested positive for hepatitis C for the first time, and they along with nearly 25,000 others still need access to treatment and supportive services.
This is the first report that includes hepatitis D, and the Health Department hopes to better understand the epidemiology of hepatitis D with this and future reports.
The Viral Hepatitis Program of the Health Department encourages all Philadelphians to learn more about viral hepatitis and to do what they can to improve their own health as well as that of their communities, like: getting vaccinated for hepatitis B, getting tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C, and getting treatment for hepatitis B, and getting treatment to cure hepatitis C. For more information and resources, the CDC has hepatitis materials available online. The Health Department, and partners like HepCAP and Hep B United Philadelphia, also have information and resources available on their website and Public Health Department websites have more information:
The full 2023 Annual Report of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis D in Philadelphia is available on the Health Department’s website. Residents are encouraged to provide feedback on how they and their community accesses healthcare by visiting https://bit.ly/215EliminatesHep and following @hepCAP on Instagram for more local hepatitis -related information.