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This year, EF CLIF celebrated World Liver Day by creating a series of spot illustrations that convey key messages about liver disease. We created visually engaging content to make the information accessible and impactful across social media.
Despite its importance, liver diseases are often overlooked in global health agendas, leading to significant gaps in prevention, detection, and treatment strategies. World Liver Day 2024 is an opportunity to spread the message that liver diseases can affect anyone, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. Chronic liver diseases, including steatotic liver disease, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, are major contributors to global health challenges. By highlighting these facts, we aim to raise awareness and encourage proactive measures to promote liver health.
Chronic liver diseases claim millions of lives, with 2 million deaths attributed to liver disease each year. This alarming number highlights the importance of global initiatives like World Liver Day to bring attention to otherwise preventable conditions. The statistics are alarming, with 1.5 billion people suffering from chronic liver disease worldwide. However, the good news is that 90% of these cases are preventable through lifestyle changes.
Promoting simple lifestyle changes is at the heart of our World Liver Day campaign. Following a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, undergoing routine screenings, and getting vaccinated against hepatitis viruses are all effective strategies to significantly reduce the risk of liver diseases. Our illustrations aim to empower individuals with the knowledge that these small steps can make a big difference in maintaining liver health and preventing chronic liver diseases.
To bring these issues to the forefront, the major regional liver associations—the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), the American Association for the Study of the Liver Diseases (AASLD), the Asociacion Latinoamericana para el Estudio del Higado (ALEH), and the Society on Liver Disease in Africa (SOLDA)—have jointly called on the World Health Organization to endorse April 19 as the official World Liver Day. This initiative aims to leave no organ behind and to improve care for patients with liver diseases through awareness and action.
World Liver Day was first launched in India in 2019 to raise awareness about liver-related diseases. Recognizing the global impact of liver disease, major liver associations expanded this initiative worldwide in 2023. The goal is to eliminate the barriers to prevention, detection, and treatment of liver disease through coordinated efforts.
In 2023, the focus was on raising public awareness and breaking down the stigma associated with liver-related diseases. The campaign aimed to educate the public and foster a better understanding of liver health.
This year, the emphasis shifts to seeking solutions and implementing concrete activities, such as tailored educational programs. These initiatives have been designed to provide practical knowledge and resources to help prevent and manage liver disease.
Looking ahead to 2025, World Liver Day will propose governance solutions to address liver health issues in a coordinated and systematic manner. This includes advocating for policies and strategies that support liver health on a global scale.
International health days like World Liver Day play a crucial role in raising awareness for major health issues, including chronic liver diseases. World Liver Day strives to promote prevention campaigns, improve screening strategies, and increase access to timely and effective treatment, ultimately aiming to reduce the global burden of liver disease.
European Foundation for the Study of
Chronic Liver Failure
Travessera de Gràcia 11, 7th floor
08021 Barcelona, Spain
© European Foundation for the Study of Chronic Liver Failure 2024
