What is Hepatitis?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
How Does Hepatitis Affect African American Populations?
Hepatitis B infection has dropped significantly since 1991 but remains an area of concern for the African American population.
- In 2020, non-Hispanic blacks were 1.4 times as likely to die from viral hepatitis, as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
- In 2020, non-Hispanic blacks were almost twice as likely to die from hepatitis C as compared to the white population.
- While having comparable case rates for hepatitis B in 2020, non-Hispanic blacks were 2.5 times more likely to die from hepatitis B than non-Hispanic whites.
Death Rates (Viral Hepatitis)
Death Rates for Viral Hepatitis, 2019 (all types)
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio | |
| Male | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| Female | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
| Total | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
Source: CDC 2022. Deaths: Final Data for 2019. National vital statistics reports; vol. 70, no. 8. Table 10.
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/106058
Hepatitis A, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 1.6 | 3.9 | 0.4 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 1.2
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm.
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022
Hepatitis B, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 2.2
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Chronic Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B, Chronic (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 5.8 | 1.5 | 3.9 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 2.2
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Death Rate (Hepatitis B)
Rate per 100,000 of Hepatitis-B-Related Deaths, 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 0.67 | 0.27 | 2.5 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 2.8
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Immunization of Adults (Hepatitis B)
Percentage of adults ages 19-49 years, high risk groups, who received 3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination, 2018
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 35.4 | 43.6 | 0.8 |
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage among Adults in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2018. Box 3, Table 2.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/ss/ss7003a1.htm
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/105322
Immunization of Adolescents (Hepatitis B)
Percentage of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who received 3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination, 2021
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 92.2 | 92.9 | 1.0 |
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Doses Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years, National Immunization Survey–Teen, United States, 2021. Suppl Table 1.
Immunization of Children (Hepatitis B)
Percentage of children age 19 to 35 months who received the universally recommended vaccination – 3 doses hepatitis B (hep B) vaccine, 2017
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 91.8 | 91.1 | 1.0 |
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19–35 Months - United States, 2017. Supplementary Table 1.
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/59414
Hepatitis C - Acute
Hepatitis C, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 3.2
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm.
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Hepatitis C - Chronic
Hepatitis C, Chronic (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 25.9 | 26.3 | 1.0 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 3.6
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm.
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Death Rate (Hepatitis C)
Rate per 100,000 of Hepatitis-C-Related Deaths, 2020
| Non-Hispanic Black | Non-Hispanic White | Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio |
| 5.63 | 3.18 | 1.8 |
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 3.2 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm.
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Last Edited: 09/22/2023