DHAKA: Bangladesh is among the ten countries with the highest numbers of people living with hepatitis C globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day that falls on Tuesday.

“Hepatitis is preventable, treatable and, in the case of hepatitis C, curable. Yet too many people continue to miss out on the services they need because they are diagnosed too late or cannot access timely testing and treatment,” said Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO representative to Bangladesh.

“WHO calls for accelerated action to break down the barriers that continue to prevent people from accessing lifesaving hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment services,” the official said.

The UN agency has called for urgent action in Bangladesh to expand access to hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment by breaking down the barriers that continue to prevent millions of people from receiving the care they need.