Bridging Public Health and Integrative Care in Hepatitis: A Review of Awareness, Nutrition, and Herbal Interventions

Abstract

Hepatitis is the most significant and under recognized global health concern, affecting millions of individuals worldwide by causing one million deaths annually. Hepatitis causes the chronic liver failure, cirrhosis, liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses differ in their transmission, diagnosis, clinical features and disease progression, yet all this contributes importantly to the global health burden. Regardless of vaccinations and antiviral therapies, the disease still remains as a challenge due to lack of delayed diagnosis, low public awareness, limited access to screening and treatment. Integration with digital health technologies can enhance the disease surveillance, patient education, telemedicine and enables efficient prevention and early intervention strategies. Nutritional management plays an important role by supporting the hepatic metabolism, liver function and disease associated complications and enhances the recovery. Simultaneously, the therapeutic potential of the medicinal plants and hepatoprotective phytochemicals may enhance conventional therapy by antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifibrotic and immunomodulating actions. Integrating public health endeavor with digital health, evidence based herbal interventions and nutritional care may improve prevention of hepatitis, patient management and may help in the elimination of hepatitis.