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Why World Hepatitis Day is July 28

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Dr. Baruch S. Blumberg

The reason why World Hepatitis Day is celebrated every year on July 28 goes back almost a century. 

On that date in 1925, Baruch S. Blumberg was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.C. Some years later, after serving in the U.S. Navy and then earning his medical degree from Columbia University, Dr. Blumberg became intrigued by parasitology. That led him to conduct research in Nigeria and, “…it eventually led to the discovery of several new polymorphisms and, in due course, the hepatitis B virus.” 

For his breakthrough discovery of hepatitis B, Dr. Blumberg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1976. At the time of the award, Dr. Blumberg wrote a brief but fascinating history of his life, with a substantial addition in 30 years later,which areposted on the Nobel Prize website here. 

We hope you enjoy reading this first-person account of an amazing life by the person we celebrate on July 28 every year.