Raising Awareness About Hepatitis: The Role of Students in Prevention and Education

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Burhanuddin Murtaza Patanwala is a fifth-year MD student at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Hepatitis remains one of the most under-recognised public health threats of our time. Despite causing more deaths annually than HIV/AIDS or malaria, viral hepatitis rarely receives proportional attention in either public discourse or medical curricula. For the millions living with chronic hepatitis B and C, the disease often progresses silently for years before surfacing as cirrhosis or liver cancer. This silence is precisely where medical students can make a difference.

As future physicians, we occupy a unique position: close enough to communities to understand their fears and misconceptions, yet equipped with the scientific literacy to translate complex data into actionable knowledge. Students do not need a medical license to start closing the hepatitis awareness gap; they need curiosity, empathy, and a willingness to show up in classrooms, clinics, and community centres.

Education is the first line of defence. Many people confuse hepatitis A, B, and C, unaware that transmission routes, prevention strategies, and long-term risks differ significantly between them. Student-led workshops, social media campaigns, and peer education sessions can correct these misunderstandings before they translate into risky behaviour or delayed testing. IFMSA chapters worldwide have already demonstrated the power of this approach through World Hepatitis Day campaigns, free screening drives, and vaccination advocacy, often reaching populations that formal healthcare systems struggle to access.

Stigma is the second barrier students are well placed to dismantle. Hepatitis B and C carry a disproportionate social burden linked to their association with intravenous drug use and sexual transmission, discouraging people from seeking testing or disclosing their status. Students, as trusted messengers within their own communities, can reframe these conversations around prevention and treatment rather than blame, encouraging earlier diagnosis and better outcomes.

Prevention efforts also benefit directly from student involvement. Hepatitis B vaccination remains one of the most effective cancer-prevention tools available, yet coverage gaps persist, particularly in low-resource settings and among healthcare workers themselves. Students can organise vaccination drives, advocate for catch-up immunisation among peers, and model correct infection-control practices during clinical rotations, reducing occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

Research and advocacy round out this contribution. Many national hepatitis prevalence estimates rely on outdated or incomplete data, particularly in regions with limited surveillance infrastructure. Medical students, through elective projects, research societies, or IFMSA’s public health working groups, can help generate updated local data, strengthening the evidence base that policymakers rely on to allocate resources effectively.

The WHO’s goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030 will not be achieved through clinical intervention alone. It requires sustained education, destigmatisation, and grassroots advocacy, work that students are uniquely positioned to lead today, not after graduation. Every workshop delivered, every myth corrected, and every person encouraged to get tested moves that 2030 target closer. Hepatitis elimination is not solely a physician’s task; it is a shared responsibility, and students who choose to act now will carry that momentum into the physicians they become.

About the author

Burhanuddin Murtaza Patanwala is a fifth-year MD student at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, with a strong interest in surgery and global health. He recently completed a clinical elective in Breast Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and has authored a published review in Biomolecules alongside research on university student health currently under peer review. He serves as Opportunity Department Director at MedHack Global and is an active member of IFMSA and the International Association of Student Surgical Societies (IASSS), through which he engages in medical education, research, and public health advocacy.

About the author

Burhanuddin Murtaza Patanwala is a fifth-year MD student at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, with a strong interest in surgery and global health. He recently completed a clinical elective in Breast Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and has authored a published review in Biomolecules alongside research on university student health currently under peer review. He serves as Opportunity Department Director at MedHack Global and is an active member of IFMSA and the International Association of Student Surgical Societies (IASSS), through which he engages in medical education, research, and public health advocacy.