ACT-C (awareness, counselling and treatment of Hepatitis C), a public service initiative of Cipla supported by Cipla Foundation took the message of 'NOhep' to people on World Hepatitis Day.

NOhep is a global movement of World Hepatitis Alliance that calls for people across the world to sign up for the initiative and take action to eliminate hepatitis by 2030.

Viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver due to a virus, is the 7th leading cause of death globally, accounting for 1.4 million deaths per year - more than HIV/AIDS or malaria.

The most common of the viruses are hepatitis B and C, which affect up to 400 million worldwide and cause 80% of liver cancer deaths worldwide.

Hepatitis infection is a significant health issue, every year, over one lakh people in India are afflicted by hepatitis C, with an estimated 1 in every 100 people infected by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).

People with chronic hepatitis C can live for decades without the symptoms or feeling sick and do not know that they are infected.

When symptoms do appear, they often are a sign of advanced liver disease.

To create awareness and sensitize people on the need of screening for hepatitis, Cipla Foundation has been galvanizing doctors, hospitals, voluntary and non-government organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders to come together for joint action.