Monthly Archives: July 2024

World Hepatitis Day: Highlights from the BMC Series

Hands holding healthy liver, organ donation, hepatitis vaccination, liver cancer treatment, world hepatitis day

World Hepatitis Day is celebrated on yearly on the 28th of July – marking the birthday of the Nobel-prize winning scientist Dr Baruch Blumberg, who firstly discovered hepatitis B virus (HBV) and subsequently developed a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus. It is a day to highlight the significant issue hepatitis still presents globally, as well as an opportunity to bring awareness of the need for a greater response globally to this disease – as summarised in a report by WHO in 2017. In this report they call for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. In this BMC Series highlights blog we aim to raise awareness of the integral hepatitis research our authors have been performing – providing key knowledge which will help inform ways to reduce hepatitis infection and mortality.

Highlights of the BMC Series – June 2024

How did birds evolve? Can historic blood spots help us understand human epidemiology? Is recycling organic materials a better alternative to green ammonia? How does ocean acidification affect marine invertebrates? Can Tetris alleviate PTSS in preterm parents?

Introducing the BMC Series SDG Editorial Board Members: Taddese Zerfu

zerfu2

Taddese Zerfu is a research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), focusing on the nexus between agriculture, nutrition, and health. His research examines the impact of livestock farming and animal-source foods on maternal and child nutrition in low- and middle-income countries. Previously, Taddese worked as a clinician, researcher, and academic in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, and the UK. He holds a PhD in Food Science and Nutrition from Addis Ababa University and a Master’s in Public Health from Jimma University. He completed postdoctoral fellowships at Tufts University and the African Population and Health Research Center. His work has earned several awards, including the Tore Godal Medal and the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship. He belongs to the Editorial Board of BMC Public Health.